Arrest order vs cops in teens’ killings out
A Caloocan City court has ordered the arrest of the two Caloocan policemen tagged in the slaying of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19, and Reynaldo “Kulot” De Guzman, 14.
Presiding Judge Georgina Hidalgo of the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 122 signed on Wednesday the arrest warrants against Police Officers 1 Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita.
In a 35-page resolution, the Department of Justice (DoJ) panel found probable cause to bring to court Perez and Arquilita for two counts of murder, two counts of torture, and three counts of planting evidence for the deaths of Arnaiz and De Guzman.
No bail was recommended for the cases of the cops who are currently under restrictive custody in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
Copies of warrant have been forwarded to the chiefs of police in Caloocan and Taguig, officer-incharge of the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police’s Criminal and Investigation and Detection Group.
Meanwhile, the DoJ dismissed murder charges against Tomas Bagcal, the taxi driver who was allegedly held up by Arnaiz before the teenager was killed in an alleged shootout on C3 Road on August 18 last year.
The policemen admitted killing Arnaiz but claimed that it was a legitimate police operation as the teenager allegedly fired at them first. However, a witness identified only as “Joe Daniel” said he saw a handcuffed male (Arnaiz), who was already on his knees, begging for his life as he was shot by Perez and Arquilita.
Arnaiz and De Guzman were last seen together on the night of August 17.
Arnaiz’s body was then found in a morgue with gunshot wounds by his family 10 days after, while De Guzman was fished out of a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, with at least 26 stab wounds on September 5 last year.
It can be recalled that the controversial deaths of Arnaiz and De Guzman and that of 17-yearold Kian Loyd Delos Santos at the hands of Caloocan cops had led to the relief of the city’s entire police force.