A lawmaker is strongly pushing for the inclusion of pictures and video footages as supporting evidence to convict drug dealers and drug pushers.

Rep. Ma. Theresa B. Bonoan-David of Manila filed House Bill 6837, which mandates arresting officers particularly from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to bring with them cameras and video recorders during their actual search and seizure process.

The bill, which amends Section 21 of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will mandate PDEA to record the procedure that transpired before, during and after their operations.

Bonoan-David noted that arrested drug dealers and pushers in quite a number of drug-related cases ended being acquitted of the charge of violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9165 due to loopholes in the search and seizure process and the alleged failure of arresting officers in the collection and handling of evidence.

She cited the infamous Alabang Boys case, wherein all the alleged drug dealers caught in a buy-bust operation were acquitted for a number of reasons.*