It’s Kian in video, cops admit; NPD chief axed

MANILA, Philippines - Two of three policemen linked to the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos have admitted they were the persons in civilian clothes seen dragging the teenage student along an alley on the night of Aug. 16, as shown on a video recording of the closed circuit television installed in the area, the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) said yesterday.

This developed as the director of the Northern Police District (NPD), Chief Supt. Roberto Fajardo, who claimed that Delos Santos was a drug courier, was sacked yesterday.

“Dalawang pulis ang umamin na sila nga daw ’yung nakaakbay kay Kian at si Kian nga ang nasa video. Taliwas po dun sa kanilang sinabi nung una na iyon daw ay informant (Two of the policemen admitted that they were the ones with arms around Kian’s shoulders and that Kian is the one in the video, contrary to their initial statement that the one with them was an informant),” IAS Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo told reporters.

He did not identify the two police officers.

“I’m not sure why they initially denied that (they were in the video), but they confirmed that with our investigators who put it on record,” Triambulo added.

In a report by GMA News, a witness presented by the police, drug suspect Renato Loberas, earlier claimed it was not Delos Santos who was being dragged away as recorded on CCTV.

Following the developments, Triambulo said the IAS has found sufficient basis to push through with the pre-charge investigation against Caloocan City Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz and PO1 Jeremias Pereda for lapses that led to the death of the Grade 11 student.

“There is obviously something irregular in their police operation because someone died. There are lapses in the conduct of the operation because their primary function is to make arrests and not to kill,” Triambulo said.

The IAS chief said that after finding probable cause, the IAS can file an administrative case of serious irregularity in the performance of duty or grave misconduct by the police officers.

He explained that this will pave the way for the summary hearing procedure where the three policemen will have the opportunity to defend themselves.

Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo, the precinct commander and supervisor of the police operatives, is included in the IAS investigation under the command responsibility doctrine, according to Triambulo.?“Under command responsibility, as provided in (Republic Act) 8551, the immediate supervisor is included in the investigation,” he noted.

The IAS will submit today to PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa its initial findings on the investigation in the police operation that led to Delos Santos’ death.

NPD chief relieved

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa ordered the administrative relief of Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Supt. Roberto Fajardo to give way to an impartial investigation.?“Dahil sa nangyari, kasama na ang command responsibility sa kanya para mabilis ’yung pag-imbestiga ng kaso (Because of what happened, Fajardo is included in the command responsibility to speed up the investigation on the case),” Dela Rosa said.

Fajardo will be placed at the Personnel Administrative Holding Unit of the PNP at Camp Crame while relieved Caloocan City Police Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna will be detailed at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit at the National Capital Region Police Office in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Earlier, Fajardo said Delos Santos used to sell 10 grams of shabu worth P18,000 a day in their area before he was killed by police operatives.

He said a gram of shabu could cost about P8,000-P9,000, depending on its quality or grade.

“Shabu is sold as isang bulto (one bulk), equal to five grams… So, dalawang bulto ’yung (two bulks are) 10 grams na nasa (which cost) P18,000 ’yung recovered kay (from) Kian,” Fajardo explained.

Fajardo said the Caloocan City Police have witnesses to testify to Delos Santos’ alleged involvement in drug operations as the runner.

He added that the pushers now use minors as their runners. ?He said Delos Santos was newly identified in the police intelligence network and was known in their neighborhood to be a runner. He said the source and recipients of the drugs the boy was peddling remain under investigation.

“Ang tawag nga dati diyan ay (They used to call Kian) addict, pusher. Now na namatay na, mabait na sya (that he’s dead, he became a good person). Lumalabas na sinasakyan nila na mabait na ito (It’s turning out that the public is riding on his ‘good image’),” Fajardo noted.

He, however, admitted that the intelligence information did not indicate that Delos Santos was a minor.

9 more cops

The IAS is also looking for about nine more cops believed to be part of the deadly police operation.

Triambulo said records submitted by the Caloocan City Police indicated that there were 13 police officers who took part in the Oplan Galugad.

He said the investigators went back to the area to conduct ocular inspection. He also said the IAS would request Dela Rosa to order the relief of the remaining policemen, place them under restrictive custody and disarm them to encourage witnesses to come forward without any fear of retaliation.

Pro-Duterte fiscal won’t handle Kian case – Aguirre

The Caloocan City prosecutor whom Sen. Franklin Drilon accused of prejudging the death of Delos Santos will not handle the case, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said yesterday.

Aguirre assured Drilon that Assistant City Prosecutor Darwin Cañete would no longer be involved in the imminent preliminary investigation on criminal charges expected to be filed by Delos Santos’ family against the policemen behind the teenager’s death.

“This exclusion is precisely done to avoid any purported prejudgment from being present in his resolution of the case if the same is raffled to him,” Aguirre said, explaining that Cañete was only tasked to assist in the fact-finding probe upon request of the local police due to his availability, being a resident in the city.

Aguirre further bared that cases in the Caloocan City prosecutor’s office are raffled among prosecutors to ensure impartiality, unlike in other cities where cases are simply assigned to investigating prosecutors.

With these reasons, Aguirre stressed that there is no need to remove Cañete from the case – as sought by Drilon – since there is no preliminary investigation yet.

“I simply cannot order the relief of Cañete from the case of Kian delos Santos. In the first place he is not handling the case. No case has yet been filed. How can I relieve a prosecutor from a case which he is not handling? How can I relieve him from handling a case that has yet to be filed?” Aguirre pointed out.

Still, he assured the opposition senator of fairness in the resolution of the murder charges that the Delos Santos family intends to file against the policemen.  – With Edu Punay