Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Wednesday said eyewitnesses to the killing of 17-year old Kian Loyd delos Santos could now be polluted considering that their handler is Sen. Risa Hontiveros, a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

“Of course it will affect the credibility of these witnesses considering the bias of their handler,” Aguirre told DOJ reporters.

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He pointed out that the Witness Protection Program (WPP) has the mandate to protect witnesses.

Earlier, Aguirre said the DOJ would be willing to consider admitting Kian’s family and the witnesses to the WPP if they would submit an application and comply with other requirements stated under the law such as executing an affidavit.

Hontiveros took custody of the witnesses after she visited Kian’s wake last weekend. The witnesses are aged 13, 16 and 31.

The police said Kian was a drug runner although he was not included in the barangay drug watch list.

The three police officers involved in the killing – PO3 Arnel Oares and PO1 Jeremiah Pereda and PO! Jerwin Cruz claimed that Kian fought it out with them.

However, forensic experts said that Kian was killed with a shot at his back and two shots to the head – behind his left ear and inside his left ear. /atm

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