MANILA, Philippines — The father of 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz, the former University of the Philippines student who was allegedly killed by police officers two days after the murder of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, expressed hope a similar conviction would help his son attain justice.
In an interview with The STAR yesterday, Carlito Arnaiz said he and his wife were happy that Kian’s killers were convicted of the crime, a verdict they are praying would happen in the murder case they filed against Police Officers 1 Ricky Arquilita and Jefrey Perez before the Navotas regional trial court (RTC).
In a 35-page decision, Caloocan RTC Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr. found Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officers 1 Jerwin Cruz and Jeremias Pereda guilty of shooting Kian during a One Time Big Time operation in Baesa, Caloocan on Aug. 16, 2017.
However, Azucena acquitted them of the charge they planted drugs and a gun on Kian to make it appear he was a drug suspect who engaged them in a shootout. The judge found the prosecution’s evidence as hearsay.
“We are happy that there was no cover-up (in Kian’s case), that the law spares no one. We hope that the outcome in Kian’s case would be the same outcome in Carl’s trial,” Arnaiz said.
“We can only trust God and the judicial system,” he added.
Arnaiz expressed confidence the two policemen would be convicted of murdering, torturing and planting illegal drugs on his son even with only one witness to the alleged killing, identified as “Joe Daniel.”
The witness earlier testified that he was walking along Dalagang Bukid street within the jurisdiction of Navotas looking for a place to eat, when he hid behind three electric posts upon seeing a police patrol car.
He testified to seeing the two police officers shoot Arnaiz at a grassy area along C3 Road on Aug. 18, 2017, just two days after Kian’s murder.
The witness also said he saw a boy inside the police car at the time. He suggested that it was Reynaldo de Guzman, nicknamed “Kulot,” who was found floating in a river with several stab wounds in Nueva Ecija days later. No witness saw the 14-year-old’s killing.
Missing witness
Carl’s father lamented, though, that another key witness, taxi driver Tomas Bagcal, has gone missing since the case was filed.
Bagcal is the taxi driver Carl and Kulot allegedly robbed, a claim by the police that the family has denied.
In a counteraffidavit filed before the Department of Justice, Bagcal said he was threatened by police to make it appear Carl shot it out with the lawmen.
Bagcal said he turned over the two teenagers to the police alive after Carl allegedly held him up along 5th Avenue in Caloocan City.
He said the police officers took the teenagers to C3 Road, where he saw the two lawmen kill Carl while the teenager was begging for mercy.
Bagcal also said in his sworn affidavit that he was forced by the police officers to make it appear Kulot was not involved in the robbery.
Prosecutors said Carl’s body was transferred to a staged crime scene in Dagat-Dagatan along C-3 Road within the jurisdiction of Caloocan, to make it appear he fought back against police officers who responded to the alleged robbery.
“We remain confident. (Joe Daniel’s) testimony matches the autopsy on Carl’s body and the physical evidence, which shows that Carl was shot at close range,” Arnaiz said.
Joe Daniel’s testimony matches that of Northern Police District medicolegal officer Chief Inspector Jocelyn Padilla Cruz, who said Carl was shot at close range while he was kneeling. She said his arms bore abrasions that indicated he was handcuffed and he had contusions around the eye that indicated he was beaten up.
Arquilita and Perez face a separate charges of torture and planting of evidence before the Caloocan RTC.