According to Recto, the police omitted the body cameras in their request despite the public clamor for cops to wear them during sting operations and chose instead to procure 48 bomb-sniffing dogs which cost P511,672 each. Recto said that Congress authorized P334 million in the 2018 national budget for the police to acquire new body cameras which could be worn during their operations. He said that the amount would be utilized to buy machine guns, boats, motorcycles, anti-riot gear, body vests and dogs. However, it seemed that body cameras were forgotten, according to the senator. “If they were not able to buy bodycams for the rest of 2017, they should prioritize the P334 million for cameras already included in the 2018 budget.

Source: Philippine Star January 30, 2018 11:15 UTC