MANILA -- The Supreme Court on July 2  assured the Philippine National Police (PNP) that it will release soon the rules governing the use of body-worn cameras to aid law enforcers with the requirements in the application for arrest, search, and seizure warrants. The rules also provide for conditions which judges must require whenever they grant applications for warrants, and which law enforcers must comply with.

During a courtesy call on the High Court by PNP officers led by PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Guillermo T. Eleazar, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo assured that the Court, in crafting the rules on the body- worn cameras, took into account the delicate balancing act of ensuring an individual’s constitutional rights vis-à-vis arrest, search, and seizure.

“We assure you that the courts will do its part in ensuring that the constitutional rights guaranteed under the Constitution, as well as your responsibilities and duties as law enforcers, are properly considered and balanced,” Chief Justice Gesmundo said. He added: “We try to achieve that balance so that the end goal is we do not disregard the constitutional rights of people, but at the same time, the law enforcers are also given adequate leeway to effectively discharge your functions. That’s the main goal of this special rule that we are coming out.”

Chief Justice Gesmundo said that on the basis of the working draft of the proposed rules submitted by Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, the members of the Court individually and collectively gave their comments and suggestions. This was to strike a delicate balance between protecting an individual’s constitutional rights on arrest, search and seizure, and ensuring the unhampered operational requirements of law enforcers in the execution of laws.

The Chief Justice further said that the Court will make an arrangement soonest with the Philippine Judicial Academy, the SC’s judicial education arm, to provide the training of all those involved in