Only about 2,000 body cameras are on hand for the Philippine National Police’s roughly 320,000 officers, and many shoot a grainy 1-megapixel picture. That is about to change: Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla says the DILG is now procuring up to 20,000 AI-enabled body cameras that officers can wear as early as this year.
What Remulla told Congress
Remulla disclosed the plan during a House committee on appropriations briefing on the DILG’s proposed budget, fielding a question from Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co. He described the current units as “obsolete,” bought years back, and said the replacements are more AI-capable and more responsive, with the procurement already bid out and set to close within the year.
By the numbers
| Metric | Current fleet | Planned |
|---|---|---|
| Body cameras available | ~2,000 | up to 20,000 this year |
| Police officers to cover | ~320,000 | |
| Camera quality | 1-megapixel, “obsolete” | AI-enabled, superior lens |
| Reported procurement | – | ~17,000 units at ~P800 million |
What the sharper cameras are for
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the new gear should capture clearer, more reliable footage that preserves evidence and supports investigations. Remulla noted the new cameras carry a superior lens that AI can decode more accurately than the old 1-megapixel units. The Supreme Court’s June 29, 2021 administrative matter already requires officers to wear a body camera and an alternative recording device when serving search and arrest warrants.
Privacy, storage, and the rollout ahead
Journal News reported the force is acquiring 17,000 AI-ready body cameras worth about P800 million for nationwide deployment, and Remulla said the fleet will be augmented every year. The PNP is also prepping the rollout across the force. Before the new units go live, the PNP said it will coordinate with agencies on guidelines for AI functions, including privacy and storage rules. The refresh is part of a broader DILG push to modernize public safety tech, and it echoes the PNP’s widening role in online enforcement, from the temporary ban on the Gorebox app after the Tacloban school shooting to this body-camera upgrade.
