Philippine City Wants Drivers To Spy On Everyone

General Santos City is considering a strange proposal requiring all drivers to install dash cams in order to spy on everyone. This is all in the name of safety and security.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130254

The city council here is planning to tap motorists as “roving eyes” on the streets to enhance public safety and security.

City Councilor Vivencio Dinopol said Wednesday they are studying a measure that will require the installation of dashboard cameras or “dashcams” in private and public utility vehicles.

He said the move is aimed to ensure the proper recording, through mobile digital video devices, of road crashes and related incidents as well as criminal activities, especially the shootings by motorcycle-riding suspects.

The presence of the dashcams could deter the occurrence of various traffic violations and help counter the movement of criminal elements, he said.

Dinopol said many crimes remained unsolved due to the lack of witnesses and available video footages.

“We have existing security and road traffic safety measures but these are clearly not enough. We need to take advantage of the available technologies to ensure the safety of the general public while on our streets,” he told reporters.

He said they will hold a series of consultations, through the committees on transportation and public safety, to get the pulse and recommendations from the public regarding the measure, which will set through an ordinance.

He acknowledged that it could be difficult for some motor vehicle owners to comply due to the financial requirement and with the local transport sector still reeling from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

But he said they are considering possible arrangements that would allow the local government to assist the affected motorists.

“During the committee hearing, the LGU (local government unit) could commit some amount to assist the vehicle owners in buying dashcams, maybe through loans or any other scheme,” he said.

This is unbelievably Orwellian. What these people want is to transform everyone with a car into a snitch. Not just a snitch but eyes for the state! They will in effect be setting up a panopticon. How dare these LGUs be called dads! They are elected officials who govern at the consent of the governed. They are by no means "dads" or fathers. They are servants of the people. How would this law be serving the people? It wouldn't!

All of this is totally ridiculous and redundant as well. Just last year General Santos City was preparing to roll out a P451 million traffic, CCTV system.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120706

The city government is gearing up for the full implementation of its PHP451-million synchronized traffic signalization and city-wide closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera system project.

Engr. Emerald Signar, head of the City Engineer’s Office in a radio interview on Wednesday said the special bids and awards committee (BAC) commissioned for the project has already started the series of pre-procurement conference as part of the preparatory processes.

He said the pre-procurement conference is the venue for the BAC to scrutinize the requirements and other necessary attachments in the project proposals of the prospective suppliers or contractors.

These are based on the approved terms of reference (TOR) and performance specification of the project, he said.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera originally approved the project in 2018 but Signar said its implementation was delayed due to the crafting of the TOR and performance specification.

Signar said it will be a design-build process, with the winning supplier designing the system based on the TOR, which set an implementation period of 18 months.

He said the traffic signalization will cover at least 26 major intersections that were identified in a study conducted by the city’s traffic engineering unit as critical sections due to heavy vehicular traffic.

The official said the winning supplier is mandated to upgrade the existing 11 traffic light systems in the city and synchronize them with the new units.

Under the project, he said over 200 CCTV cameras will also be installed in different locations in the city that will be connected by a fiber optic cabling system.

Signar said the local government opted to implement the project in full instead of phased basis to ensure the proper integration and synchronization of the systems.

He said other local government units that rolled out the project on phased basis faced problems with the fast-changing technologies and differences in the systems adopted by the winning suppliers.

“We want it implemented in full to ensure that it is synchronized and totally integrated. That’s the mayor’s marching order,” he said.

When completed, Signar said the project is expected to enhance traffic and law enforcement operations in the city since the CCTV cameras will have face recognition, face tamper recognition, color recognition and other features.

He said the CCTVs, based on the approved specification, will be able to see through tinted motor vehicles.

These will be useful in the identification of traffic violators through the “no contact” enforcement policy and on alerting the possible movements of criminal elements, he said.

He added that the CCTV cameras may also be used for the monitoring of disaster incidents and facilitate faster response by the local government.

That article is from November 2020 so it can't be that COVID has put things on hold. There is no mention of COVID in this article. Look at the features of this system: facial recognition, can see through tinted windows, and many other things. Can a dash cam do that?  NO!!

It should be noted this system is not in effect. They are still going through the bidding process apparently. They want it to be implemented all at once to prevent any snafus. The budget has been in place since 2018 but now 3 years later...nothing. Solution? Get everyone to have dash cams to cover their butts! 

Let's say it becomes law. Then what? Everyone has a dash cam and then what? What happens to the footage? Will people be required to upload it to a central database? How would that even be enforced!? Who would analyze all the video footage from thousands of vehicles? It's a preposterous idea.

What about the local PNP? Don't they have body cams which would record much of the same footage?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1386454/house-probe-sought-on-delayed-police-body-camera-project

“More than two years since the budget for the body cameras for police was approved, the PNP has yet to complete the procurement and distribution of the devices meant to increase police accountability and transparency,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.

For all their talk the PNP has yet to procure body cameras. Yet General Santos City wants to pass a law making it mandatory for all drivers to have dash cams! It is a totally ridiculous and totalitarian proposal. It will probably pass into law.