EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 
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of 
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'19 
JUL 16 
A 9 -07
Ifl'CEIV ID U.
Introduced by SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA
AN ACT
MANDATING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO WEAR A BODY CAMERA 
DURING 
LAW 
ENFORCEMENT 
AND 
SPECIAL 
POLICE 
OPERATIONS, 
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), reported out that from July 
1, 2016 to March 31, 2019, as part of the Duterte Administration's War on Drugs, 
there were aiready 
127,379 Anti-Drug Operations conducted; 
182,061 drug 
personalities arrested and 5,375 died in anti-drug operations.1
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and PDEA, under the Opian Tokhang and 
Double Barrel, have been massively criticized and lambasted for the alleged summary 
executions, excessive and unnecessary use of force in dealing with the public and 
other human rights abuses during anti-drug operations and other police operations.
In January 2018, as the PNP Chief that time, I have initiated the procurement 
of body-worn cameras for the PNP, with an allotted budget of P334 million. This 
includes 12,476 body cameras, 175 body camera livestreaming systems, 1,941 
computer sets and 2,103 docking stations.2
1 http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-realnumbersph
https://www.rappler.eom/nation/195280-pnp-live-stream-capable-body-cameras-june-2018


Despite this effort, it is necessary to institutionalize the use of body cameras by 
all law enforcement officers, in all law enforcement and police operations. Many 
countries like Australia, Canada, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States of America, 
Denmark, Finland, France and Germany, among others, have been using this 
technology.
This proposed bill, which was filed by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito during the 
17th Congress, aims to preserve credibility and transparency in the conduct of law 
enforcement operations. The operatives will be more accountable in their actions 
because they know that they are being monitored and will eventually halt the rising 
number of abuses and killings in anti-drug campaign. Moreover, this will in turn 
improve 
public trust and citizen confidence in the law and to police personnels. 
Furthermore, body cam recordings can be use as evidence to reconstruct events of 
police operations which will help in the speedy investigation and resolution of cases.
The measure also provides for the guidelines in the use of body cameras in 
order to forestall misuse and manipulation of such.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
RONALD ' b a t o \ )
eiELA R O S A ,^


tDl I t r  u( •K s ■
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
*19 
JUL 16 
A 9-.08
RlTEi'
S. No.
SENATE
518
Introduced by SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA
AN ACT
MANDATING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO WEAR A BODY CAMERA 
DURING 
LAW 
ENFORCEMENT 
AND 
SPECIAL 
POLICE 
OPERATIONS, 
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Republic o f the Philippines 
//? Congress assembled:
1
2 
SECTION. 1. Short Title. -This act shall be known as the "Body Camera for Law
3 
Enforcement Personnel Act o f 2019."
4 
SEC. 2. Definition o f Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms are
5 
defined as follows:
6 
a) Law Enforcement Officer refers to any person authorized by law to prevent,
7 
investigate, conduct searches and other police operations, apprehend or detain
8 
individuals suspected or convicted of offenses under Philippine laws;
9 
b) Law Enforcement Operation refers to any legitimate police operations which
10 
includes but not limited to service of warrants of arrest, implementation of search
11 
warrants, enforcement of visitorial powers, anti-illegal drug operation, anti-illegal
12 
gambling operations, anti-illegal logging operations, anti-carnapping operations.


1 
anti-cybercrime operations, special police operations and similar operations that
2 
are conducted to enforce laws, statutes, executive orders and ordinances;
3 
c) Video Footage refers to any images or video recorded by a Body Camera;
4 
d) Subject o f the Video Footage refers to identifiable law enforcement officer or any
5 
identifiable suspect, victim, detainee, conversant, injured party, or other similarly
6 
situated person who appears on the body camera recording, and shall not include
7 
people who only incidentally appear on the recording;
8 
e) Body camera refers to a wearable body camera that records both audio and video,
9 
used by law enforcement officers when conducting police operations.
10 
SEC. 3. Mandatory Use o f Body Cameras - All law enforcement officers that conduct
11 
police operations shall be required to wear a body camera and record the events while in
12 
the course of conducting any police operations as defined in this Act.
13
14 
SEC. 4. Guideiines for the Use o f Body Cameras. - Any law enforcement officer
15 
mandated to wear a body ram era shall ensure that:
16 
a) The body cameras shall be worn in a location that maximizes the camera's ability
17 
to perform its full potential by capturing audio and video footage of the law
18 
enforcement officer's activities.
19 
b) Both video and audio recording functions of the body camera shall be activated
20 
whenever a law enforcement officer is responding to a call for service or at the
21 
initiation of any other law enforcement or investigative encounter between a law
22 
enforcement officer and a member of the public, except that when an immediate
23 
threat to the officer's life or safety makes activating the camera impossible or
24 
dangerous, the officer shall activate the camera at the first reasonable opportunity
25 
to do so. The body camera shall not be deactivated until the encounter has
26 
concluded and the law enforcement officers leave the scene.


1 
SEC. 5. Prohibition on the use o f Body Cameras - The use of body camera shall
2 
not be allowed in tire following instances:
3 
a) Body cameras shall not be used to gather intelligence information based on
4 
protected speeches, associations, or religion, or to record activity that is unrelated
5 
to a response to a call for service or a law enforcement or investigative encounter
6 
between a law enforcement officer and the member of the public.
7 
b) Law enforcement officers shall not activate the camera while on the grounds of
8 
any public, private or parochial elementary or secondary school, except when
9 
responding to an imminent threat to life or health.
10 
c) Video footage shall not be divulged or used by any law enforcement agency tor
11 
any commercial or other non-law enforcement purpose.
12 
d) No government agency or official, or law enforcement agency, officer, or official
13 
may publicly disclose, release, or share body camera video footage.
14 
e) Body cameras shall not be used surreptitiously.
15
16 
SEC. 6. Penaities. - Any act or omission causing the violation of duties mandated
17 
under this Act shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding fifty thousand pesos
18 
(P50,000.00) and/or suspension without pay for a period not exceeding three (3) months,
19 
without prejudice to other administrative, civil or criminal liabilities that may arise
20 
therefrom.
21 
SEC. 7. Funding. -The initial amount necessary for tire implementation of this Act
22 
shall be charged against the current fiscal year's appropriation of the law enforcement
23 
agencies involved, such as, but not limited to, the Philippine National Police, National
24 
Bureau of Investigation and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. Thereafter, such sums
25 
as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the
26 
annual General Appropriations Act.
27 
Sec. 8. Separabiiity Cause - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the
28 
remainder thereof not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.


1 
Sec. 9. Repealing Cause- All Laws, decrees, order, rules and regulations or other
2 
issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed
3 
or modified accordingly.
4 
SEC. 10. Effectivity. - This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
5 
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
6 
Approved,
7