Witness identi es cop in Kian killing
A witness in the killing of 17-year-old high school student Kian Loyd delos Santos during a police antiillegal drugs operation in Caloocan City last Aug. 16 identified yesterday one of the accused police officers as among the killers.
During the Senate public hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros presented the 31-yearold witness, identified only as MC, who said on the night of Aug. 16, she and her friend saw three men dragging a man whose face was covered.
The witness, wearing dark glasses and a hoodie to conceal her identity, said she recognized one of the assailants since he had been among the police officers who frequently conducted drug raids in the area.
The witness, who said she could not read, was asked whether the assailants were present at the hearing and she pointed to Police 0fficer 3 Arnel Oares.
MC said she had followed the three men who were dragging a young man since they were also heading in the direction of her house.
When she arrived at her place with her friend, the men continued dragging their victim further into the dark dead end of their street.
MC said she saw one of the men push the individual, who was pleading with them, to the ground.
“I heard a shot and I hid but still I peered and saw them shooting (at the person),” MC said Filipino.
The Senate committee also held an executive session to listen to the testimonies of two other witnesses – aged 13 and 16 – to the killing of Delos Santos.
Another witness in the Delos Santos killing was placed under the justice department’s witness protection program (WPP).
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II revealed that a female witness identified only as Choleng was given provisional coverage of WPP upon request of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
“The witness has been provisionally accepted in WPP pending assessment of her application for full coverage. She is now in a safehouse,” Aguirre said.
In her affidavit submitted to the DOJ, Choleng said Delos Santos was under the custody of the policemen even before he was killed.
Choleng said she saw the police officers fetch Delos Santos from his house.
“I saw the policemen carrying Kian. One of them was holding Kian’s neck with his arms. They brought Kian to the lower basketball court of our barangay,” read the affidavit in Filipino.
Choleng said she even confronted the policemen after learning that Delos Santos was shot dead. Delos Santos was killed in an alleged shootout with policemen during an anti-narcotics operation in Caloocan City last Aug. 16.
“Why did you kill the kid? You shouldn’t have killed him. You should have jailed him instead,” she recalled telling the police.
The eyewitness’ account was supported by closed circuit television (CCTV) footage in the area operated by the barangay.
A forensic examination conducted by the PAO also indicated that Kian sustained three gunshot wounds in his head and at the back and was shot while lying face down.
The PAO submitted these pieces of evidence to support the murder and torture charges against the policemen, citing the clear presence of elements of treachery.
There are reportedly three other witnesses in Kian’s death under the custody of the Senate.
Kian’s parents, Saldy and Lorenza delos Santos, earlier filed charges of murder and torture against the four policemen involved in the operation –Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo, PO 3 Oares and Police Officers 1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz of Caloocan City police station 7.
The DOJ panel of prosecutors has summoned the policemen and set preliminary investigation hearings on Sept. 14 and 21.
Meanwhile, Sen. Leila de Lima said yesterday that ending the spate of drug-related extrajudicial killings in the country was more important to her than her freedom.
De Lima issued the statement in welcoming the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)’s call for her release from detention and its plea to end extrajudicial killings in the country.
The senator is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame on allegations that she abetted the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary.
She said the support she is getting from APHR and other human rights groups gives her strength and fortitude to continue without relent her fight against EJKs.
“More than my freedom, I am more concerned about rising death toll in Duterte’s drug war. I feel for the Filipino people who have been murdered without a day in court and the families, especially children, who lost their loved ones by violence,” she said.
She said Duterte can lock her in jail as long as he wants but he cannot stop her from opposing the alleged state-sponsored daily drug killings in the country, “the same way that he cannot hide my innocence from sensible people such as the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) lawmakers who know that the charges filed against me were politically motivated.”
US Ambassador Sung Kim said yesterday the deaths of Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Delos Santos in the hands of the Caloocan police are “tragic.”
Kim said it is important to have a full investigation and accountability and punishment for those involved in wrongdoing.
“It’s a tragedy that young men lose their lives in this manner and this is why I think it’s important for there to be full investigation, accountability for what happened,” Kim said in a roundtable discussion with the media at the US embassy.