Stop planting evidence – Duterte
‘I never promised to protect policemen who abuse their authority’
President Duterte on Thursday warned policemen to stop planting evidence just to bolster their cases, stressing that his promise to protect policemen performing their duties does not include those who abused their authorities.
“Let us be clear on this. I said I will protect those who are doing their duty. I never promised to protect those who are supposedly engaged in doing their duty but committing a crime in the process.
That cannot be done,” Duterte said in his speech in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, where he tackled at length the death of 17-year-old Kian Lloyd delos Santos, who was killed in an anti-drug operations of the Caloocan City police.
The President said he despises police officers who abuse their authority, especially those who plant evidence like illegal drugs.
Duterte said Kian’s death was not the result of the police’s performance of duty and maintained that the police involved, if proven guilty, should face the consequences.
He said his order to “destroy” drug apparatus and the entire drug organization does not justify Kian’s death.
‘That is murder’ “I’m not justifying ‘yung sa (what happened in) Caloocan, it was really bad. Hindi naman performance of duty ‘yung ganoon (That was not in the performance of duty),” Duterte admits.
“What I reminded again the military and the police is that it [drug operations] should be in the performance of duty. That you are not allowed… a person who is kneeling down, begging for his life. That is murder,” he said.
A CCTV footage and a number of eyewitness account state that Kian was manhandled by the police to the place where the teenager was found dead.
While the police insist that Kian shot them first, the paraffin test results from the Northern Police District (NPD) Crime Laboratory released Wednesday afternoon showed otherwise.
“The qualitative examination conducted on the paraffin cast taken from both hands of the cadaver gave negative results to the tests for gunpowder nitrates,” the report from the NPD Crime Laboratory Office said. 12-M bounty for abusive cops Duterte said that while he is keen on protecting the police who are doing their duty, he cannot, however, turn a blind eye on those who are abusing their authority.
“Pero ‘yung mga abusadong pulis, ‘yung mga pulis na nag-kidnap, tapos pag-kidnap, meron pang deed of sale ‘yung mga biktima, sabi ko ‘yan pinatungan ko nga ng ulo (But for the abusive cops, the cops who kidnap people and make their victims a deed of sale, I put a bounty on their heads),” Duterte said.
“12 million diyan silang lahat (12 million for each of them). For those policemen who have committed a crime of gun-for-hire or kidnapping lalo na (especially),” he added.
Duterte revealed that he knows there are also police officers who plant evidence.
“Itong sa drugs, maraming laro dito (In the illegal drug trade, there are many ways practices here)–planting of evidence. Tapos maghingi ng pera, kung wala kang pera, ang deed of sale sa bahay mo nandiyan na pirmahan mo lang. Ito ‘yung dapat patayin (Then they will ask for money. If you don’t have money, all you need to do is to sign the deed of sale of your house. These are the ones who needs to be killed),” the President said.
“Sabi ko sa pulis, ‘Patayin ninyo, kung hindi, kayo ang papatayin ko.’ ‘Yan ang simpleng istorya sa buhay natin (I told the police, ‘Kill them or else you’re the ones I will kill.’ That’s the simple story of our lives),” Duterte added.
Duterte also explained how he would “help” the police officers who will be jailed while doing their duty, particularly while implementing his all-out drug war.
“When I said, ‘‘I will help you,’ it does not really say na (that I will be) springing them out of jail. I will provide for their lawyers. Dapat lang, nagtatrabaho sila sa gobyerno, tapos hayaan mo (I should do that because they are working for the government. I should not let them by themselves),” he said.
Duterte had earlier said that cops who abuse their authorities are worse than drug suspects themselves. Palace disagrees with DOJ As this developed, Malacañang insisted that the death of Delos Santos is a serious matter, contrary to the opinion of Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who considers Kian’s death as a collateral damage of President Duterte’s drug war.
Aguirre added the the death of Kian was only “blown out of proportion” by the media.
“Blown out of proportion in the media kaya akala mo napakalaki na,” Aguirre said. “Giyera ito, eh. Magkakaroon talaga ng casualty (This is a war so casualties are expected), whether it be an adult or children.”
But presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said that while the Palace respects the opinion of Aguirre, the Justice secretary’s opinion does not reflect that of President Duterte’s or the Palace’s.
“Let’s put it this way: Like we have said, there is death in the seriousness regarding the matter,” Abella said during the regular Palace press briefing Thursday morning.
“That is the opinion of Secretary Aguirre. But from the Palace’s point of view this is a serious matter and we have given it the kind of due attention,” he added.
“But on the other hand, it is also wise to make sure that everything continually is in perspective,” he continued.
Charges recommended
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service (PNPIAS) has recommended the filing of serious irregularity in the conduct of police operations for PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz and PO1 Jeremias Pereda.
“There are so many lapses which resulted in the death of Kian,” said Alfegar Triambulo, director general of the IAS.
The three cops are the ones being accused of dragging Kian toward the area where his body was later found, with at least two bullet wounds. The three cops are also being accused of planting the gun and the shabu that were allegedly seized from Kian.
On the other hand, a separate administrative case of serious neglect of duty was also recommended to be filed against Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo for command responsibility. Cerillo is the precinct commander.
The investigation conducted by IAS is different from the one being conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). The CIDG focuses on criminal liability while the IAS is on administrative offenses.
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, PNP chief, had earlier said that he would approve the recommendation that would be made by the IAS.
Once it is approved, the hearing will continue and eventually lead to the trial proper which would determine if the four cops are guilty or not. (With a report from Aaron B. Recuenco)