GOAL: 2 000 signatures

It is the primary duty of the police to serve and protect the citizens by enforcing law and order; however, there have been far too many cases where they become perpetrators of injustice. The Philippines is no stranger to a tainted law enforcement system. Filipino police officers have generally been known to abuse power and authority by automatically resorting to physical force (that ends up in death), arresting people whenever they deem appropriate, and planting evidence against the convicted, to name a few. In fact, since Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016, tens of thousands of Filipinos have died by the guns of policemen, under the president’s war on drugs or fueled by Duterte’s principles.  As of now, the Human Rights Watch have affirmed that the killings in the Philippines increased by 50% during the pandemic. This system of violence and impunity needs to change, before more innocent Filipino blood is shed and the essence of law enforcement becomes fully corrupted.

What is being done? 

The procurement of modernized police equipment (such as body cameras and dash cameras) began in 2017; however, many delays have been encountered mainly due to the lack of budget. As of the present, only 2 600 body cameras have been acquired. These were set for functional testing and evaluation last October 2020, and would be primarily distributed to anti-drug cops. While the initiative would be of great benefit to reforming the policing system, seemingly, it is still not enough. We ask for the Philippine Government to take appropriate action for police equipment modernization, and should this be in check, make it mandatory for ALL law enforcement officers to have body cameras which must be kept active during police operations. Most importantly, we call for police accountability and transparency by releasing body cam footage of operations, especially with regards to cases of law enforcement brutality and violation of human rights.

Why is there a need to release the footage?

To build transparency and accountability: Despite the number of abuse and brutality cases, many Filipino police officers are let off the hook for their misconduct because there were no witnesses to record the act. Video footage serves as concrete evidence to what went on during the scene and is a great step towards holding abusers responsible for their actions.

To increase public trust in law enforcement: A recent police shooting in Tarlac which was caught on camera has led PNP chief Debold Sinas to deem video/photo evidence as “tricky”. This has led Filipinos to further distrust the efficiency of law enforcement. In general, abuses carried out by police officers have instilled fear in Filipino citizens. Releasing video footage can be used to monitor police misconduct, which is a step in regaining public trust.

To bring back the essence of law enforcement: It is the duty of police officers to comply with the law, serve and protect citizens against illegal acts, and uphold human rights & dignity. Thus, police abuses and misconduct are a huge contradiction to what  law enforcers should be. It’s high time that the true essence of law enforcement came back, and that should start with transparency & accountability.

Please consider signing our petition to help fight against police abuses and help rebuild the law enforcement system.