Kian delos Santos was slain on the night of Aug. 16, 2017 during a "One Time, Big Time" operation of the Caloocan City police. He was tagged by "Nonong" as a drug runner.
The STAR/Marc Jayson Cayabyab
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2, 11:26 a.m.) — The Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 125 has convicted three Caloocan cops of murder for the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos in August 2017.
Caloocan RTC Branch 125 finds three Caloocan cops GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT of killing 17 year old Kian Delos Santos last Aug 2017 @PhilippineStar
Caloocan RTC 125 Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr. sentenced PO 3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda and PO1 Jerwin Cruz to reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years in prison with no possibility of parole.
The court also ordered the three cops to indemnify or compensate the heirs of Delos Santos with the following amount:
P100,000 as civil indemnity
P100,000 as moral damages
P45,000 as actual damages
P100,000 as exemplary damages with interest on all damages hereby awarded at the rate of 6% per annum from the finality of the decision until fully paid
However, the Caloocan court found Oares, Pereda and Cruz not guilty of planting illegal drugs and a gun “for failure of the prosecution to prove the guilt beyond reasonable doubts.”
The court meanwhile “archived” the case against Renato “Nonong” Loveras pending his apprehension. An alias warrant was issued against him.
Police officers Jeremias Pereda, Jerwin Cruz and Arnel Oares—suspects in the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos—attend the Senate dangerous drugs panel hearing on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017.
OSMP/Wendell Alinea, File
Kian’s last words: ‘Sir, huwagpo’
Delos Santos was slain on the night of Aug. 16, 2017, during a "One Time, Big Time" operation of the Caloocan City police. He was tagged by Nonong as a drug runner.
Police earlier claimed that Delos Santos fought back. A closed-circuit television camera footage, however, showed that Delos Santos was dragged by the police officers towards Tullahan River, where he was later found dead in a kneeling position.
The court said there was no chance for Delos Santos, a minor, to defend himself.
“He was in a sitting position, covering his head with his hands and pleading, ‘sir, huwag po,’” the decision read.
The court said that Pereda dragged Delos Santos to “a pigpen which was very dirty and had a pungent smell.”
“[Delos Santos] was brought to a dark-end river side of the Tullahan River at night where it was dirty and the place had a pungent smell,” the ruling read.
The judge also noted that the trajectory of the bullets showed that the accused were on a higher level position than the victim.
“With the qualifying circumstance of treachery duly established, the conclusion that the circumstance of abuse of superior strength is absorbed therein necessarily follows,” the ruling read.
The court, however, said that there was no other testimonial or documentary evidence, other than a hearsay evidence, on the charge of planting of illegal drugs.
The teenager’s killing, found to be done execution style, sparked public outrage, prompting even vocal supporters of the government’s bloody war on drugs to voice their criticism.