‘Thanks for believing in Carl’s innocence’

Holding back tears, the sister of slain former University of the Philippines student Carl Angelo Arnaiz thanked those who believe in the innocence of her brother.

“Salamat po sa mga nagmamahal sa kapatid ko at naniniwala na inosente siyang tao (Thank you to all those who love my brother and who believe he is innocent),” Camille Arnaiz said during an emotional mass

before Carl was laid to rest yesterday afternoon.

From their residence in Cainta, the funeral procession motored to the Mater Dolorosa Parish in East Rembo, Makati City for the 2 p.m. mass and final blessing.

The family said Carl grew up in Makati, which explained his being a former scholar of the Makati Science High School.

After the mass, the funeral march proceeded to the San Roque Cemetery in Pateros, where the 19-year-old was buried at around 4 p.m.

The family viewed Carl’s remains for the last time before he was interred in an apartment-type niche.

Unlike the burial of Kian Loyd de los Santos, only a small crowd joined Carl’s funeral procession. No politician was seen at the event.

Other supporters took to social media to express their sympathy for the Arnaiz family. Carl’s classmates at the UP Diliman marked his burial with a protest rally to call for justice for him.

Several members of militant group Akbayan staged a rally at the cemetery, urging President Duterte to end to extrajudicial killings.

The family urged relatives, friends and supporters who wanted to join the funeral to come in white shirts.

The burial took place as Malacañang assured the family that there would be no whitewash in the investigation.

Carl was shot dead by members of the Caloocan police after he allegedly engaged them in a shootout on Aug. 18.

Police claimed he robbed a taxi driver at gunpoint and that they seized from him marijuana, shabu and a pistol.

The Arnaiz family disputed the allegations.