Yamsuan prods PNP to use tech innovations in fighting crime
REPRESENTATIVE Brian Raymund Yamsuan has urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to expand the use of its digitalized crime reporting system and other technological innovations to encourage citizen participation in suppressing and fighting crime.
Yamsuan, a former official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), said adopting technology-driven strategies will help improve the PNP’s performance and build public trust and confidence in the police organization.
He commended the PNP under the leadership of General Rommel Marbil for initially rolling out in Metro Manila its Law Enforcement Reporting and Information System (LERIS), a digitalized policing app which would allow the public to report suspicious incidents and crimes using their mobile phones.
“With cell phones being a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, LERIS could be a gamechanger that could lead to improved police response times. If implemented properly on a nationwide scale, this would encourage many citizens to be more proactive in helping prevent crime,” said Yamsuan, a former DILG Assistant Secretary.
Developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), LERIS can be accessed via the eGovPH app by clicking the eReport icon. It is being tested, at present, in the PNP districts under the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and is expected to be fully operational within Metro Manila by the end of the year.
Yamsuan said the NCRPO should launch an information drive in social media to familiarize the public with the use of the LERIS through the eGovPH app.
“Soft” technological tools like LERIS should be complemented by “hard” technologies, such as the increased use of CCTV cameras especially in public places, and making body-worn cameras mandatory in law enforcement operations, when applicable, Yamsuan pointed out.
He backed Gen. Marbil’s plan to procure body-worn cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, but emphasized the need for the PNP to also invest in training its personnel on the proper handling, filing and storage of the video footages in these devices to ensure that these remain untampered and viable tools in supplementing evidence in court against crime suspects.
Yamsuan, who represents the Bicol Saro Partylist in Congress, said he remains optimistic that fellow lawmakers would be able to pass one of his co-authored measures, House Bill (HB) 4708, which seeks to mandate the use of body-worn cameras during law enforcement operations.
He is also a co-author of HB 8068, which aims to require business establishments to install CCTVs in and around their premises as a means to help deter crime.
Yamsuan said that under the proposed P6.325 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2025 approved by the House of Representatives, the DILG will get P281.3 billion, of which 73 percent or 206.2 billion is allocated to the PNP. The implementation of PNP’s LERIS would get a P1.2 billion boost next year.
“Kadalasan, kahit may nakikita na tayong kahina-hinala sa ating paligid o may nangyayari na mismong krimen ay nag-aatubili tayong pumunta sa police station o tumawag para mai-report ito.
Kung maipapatupad sa buong bansa ang paggamit ng digital app ng PNP, mas mahihikayat ang publiko na mai-report ang mga suspicious activities at krimen sa kanilang komunidad gamit ang kanilang cell phone,” said Yamsuan, who is gunning for a congressional seat in the 2025 elections as representative of Parañaque’s 2nd District.
(Usually, we are hesitant to call or go to the police station even if we are already seeing something suspicious in our surroundings or witnessing an ongoing crime. If the PNP’s digital app is implemented nationwide, the public would be encouraged to report suspicious activities and crimes using their cellphone.)
“Given the P1.2 billion allocation for LERIS, we hope that the PNP could further widen the reach of this digital policing app so that it could be implemented nationwide by next year,” he added.