THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has acquired a CCTV rapid deployment system (RDS) worth around P60 million after saving funds allocated for the body-worn camera system (BWCS) recently bought for policemen.
PNP chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said that the organization has saved around P45 million in its acquisition of the BWCS, a long sought project of the PNP, which are now being used by police operatives on the ground.
Eleazar disclosed that an initial amount of P333 million was appropriated for the procurement of 2,696 body-worn camera units and its entire system. According to the PNP chief, the BWCS was only actually procured for P288 million after a public bidding conducted by the PNP Bids and Awards Committee.
Included in the BWCS procurement were: accessories; video management software; computer servers; storage and connectivity systems for the body worn cameras; and, the installation of a central data center, a national management and monitoring center, 17 regional monitoring centers and 81 provincial monitoring centers.
Eleazar revealed that the money saved from the BWCS amounting to a total of P45,111,006.28 was combined with the P19,429,717.08 savings from the recent improvement of the PNP Command Center.
According to PGen Eleazar, the CCTV RDS will be used in counter-terrorism operations anywhere in the country.
It is composed of 10 deployable CCTVs with Artificial Intelligence, video management system, 10 CCTV mobile trailers and 10 generators. Each camera of the CCTV RDS can be loaded with 200 pictures of wanted criminals and terrorists.
Eleazar said each of the 10 CCTV mobile trailers has three cameras, for a total of 30 cameras, in order to maximize the documentation of the operations. The PNP chief said the cameras for the CCTV Rapid Deployment System and the hardware were already delivered. The delivery of the entire system is expected July.
ASG leader slain
MEANWHILE, one of the trusted bomb makers of the late Abu Sayyaf Group leader Furuji Indama was killed in an intelligence-driven police operation in Basilan on Saturday.
Eleazar identified the suspect as Aroy Ittot alias Oroy, a bomber maker of the ASG and the Dawlah Islamiyah member a priority target of Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.