Real cops used in 'Bourne' shooting

MANILA, Philippines - It appears that there is so much secrecy in the filming of the movie “The Bourne Legacy” that even the Philippine National Police (PNP) is mum on the involvement of some policemen in the production.

In the movie’s first shooting day last Wednesday at an alley near Leveriza street in Malate, Manila, lead actress Rachel Weisz was filmed while being chased by supposedly uniformed Manila policemen.

The policemen, however, wore uniforms of the Manila Police District (MPD) that had different patches and did not have the usual “Manila’s Finest” logo.

A source at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) confirmed that the policemen who were caught on film were genuine policemen.

“I do not know from which unit they belong to but they are real policemen. They were real but they used fake patches,” said the source.

After the film’s shooting ended Wednesday afternoon, the film’s production crew whisked away the policemen involved in the chase scene with Weisz.

The film’s local producer, Jun Juban, said they used “both actors and actual policemen” for the chase scene.

Another source said the producer wanted to use real law enforcers “because they do not want to teach actors how to act as cops. They wanted it to look real.”

Juban said the police officers were also helpful as “technical advisers” during the shooting.

MPD spokesman Chief Inspector Edwin Margarejo said the producers did not file a request for Manila policemen to participate in film.

PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said there was no formal request or communication from the producers for the participation of real police officers as “extras” in the film.

Bartolome said despite the absence of a request, the PNP allows the participation of police officers in film shootings and television shows for as long as they will not show the police officers in a bad light.

He said there is no clear rule in the PNP on the use of police personnel in the filming of movies or television shows.

Bartolome said concerned police commanders would request the production team that the police officers not use the police patches of their mother units on their uniforms during the shooting.