Witness bares Kian’s ordeal before court

MANILA, Philippines — A 14-year-old girl who last saw Kian Lloyd delos Santos alive testified in court yesterday on what her friend said and what he went through just before he was killed in what police claimed was a shootout.

The testimony of the minor, whose name was withheld for her safety, was entered as evidence in the double murder and planting of evidence trial before the Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 125 in a hearing yesterday.

During her testimony, Mary (not her real name) said she was ordered by her sister to buy from a local drugstore in Baesa, Caloocan, when she saw Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and PO1 Jeremias Pereda arriving on two motorcycles with their alleged asset, Renato Loveraz alias “Nonong.”

Loveraz, who remains at large, pointed to the house of the 17-year-old as his alleged source of drugs, although Kian’s family was not known for peddling shabu, the witness said.

The two police officers, in civilian clothes, then barged into Kian’s house and raised their firearms, telling those inside not to move, the witness said.

She was later shocked to see the policemen dragging Kian by the collar of his shirt. One of the police officers frisked Kian, who told them: “Wala akong drugs, wala akong drugs (I have no drugs, I have no drugs), sir.”

Kian had been her friend since 2013, the girl told the court.

She said she later heard the police officers tell Kian, “Eh ano ito (What are these)?” raising what appeared to be sachets of shabu.

Kian was hit in the face and handed a gun wrapped in cloth, the witness said, adding that this was when she heard her friend beg for mercy.

“Bigla po sabi ni Kuya Kian, ‘Tama na po. Pauwiin niyo na po ako. May exam pa po ako bukas.’ Umiiyak na po siya nun (Kuya Kian suddenly said, ‘Please stop. Let me go home. I still have exams tomorrow.’ He was crying),” Mary said.

A third policeman, PO1 Jerwin Cruz, later arrived and asked the others whether to bring Kian to the police precinct, or somewhere down the road, apparently near the river, the witness said.

She later learned about Kian’s death when, accompanying his father Saldy to the riverbank, she saw her friend’s body slumped in the mud with a gun in his hand.

“Umiiyak na po Papa niya, nagwala. Tumakbo na ako sa bahay. Nablanko na ako, umiyak na ako (His father was crying, hysterical. I ran home. My mind was blank, I was crying),” Mary said.

Kian’s death sparked outrage against police abuses in the administration’s drug war.

Kian’s killing in August 2017 was followed within days by the deaths of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman.