By Mario M. Banzon

THE parents of slain teenager Kian Lloyd delos Santos on Friday, Aug. 25, filed a complaint at the Office of the Prosecutor of the Department of Justice against the three policemen allegedly behind his Aug. 17 murder, as well as their superior, Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo.

Mr. delos Santos was killed in the course of an antidrug campaign in Caloocan City. CCTV footage showed him being accosted by the policemen toward a street corner where he was later shot dead.

The boy’s parents, Saldy F. delos Santos and Lorenza D. Delos Santos, were represented by Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, in filing charges against Mr. Cerillo and the now-relieved cops, Police Officer 3 (PO3) Arnel Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz, and PO1 Jeremias Pereda.

During the Senate investigation yesterday on the death of delos Santos, it was established that Mr. delos Santos’s alleged involvement in illegal drugs was based on unverified social media comments. The three policemen, who said very little during the Senate proceedings, also maintained that the individual they were apprehending as seen on CCTV was not Mr. delos Santos but a police asset.

The Senate resumes its inquiry on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Also on Friday Senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel said Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II should inhibit himself investigating Mr. delos Santos’s death.

“’Yung pag-sira niya sa credibilidad ng mga saksi para sabihin niya na ang mga batang saksi ay susceptible to suggestion….Bakit parang mas paniniwalaan pa niya ang mga testimoniya na convicted na halimbawa na drug lord, kesa paniwalaan niya ang mga bata na takot na takot na traumatized na nga pero naglalabas pa rin ng sarili nilang katotohaan?” she said. (He’s destroying the credibility of the witnesses, for him to say that these young witnesses are susceptible to suggestion….Why would he be more inclined to believe the testimony of a convicted drug lord, for example, than these children who are afraid and traumatized but are still coming out with their truth?)

She also questioned the planned move to place the three witnesses on her watch (two of them minors) under the custody of the Department of Justice.

Mr. Aguirre said he has no problem inhibiting himself, adding: “But she should also inhibit on Senate investigations and other matters where her fairness and impartiality are under question.”

For his part, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said the Office of the Ombudsman should investigate this case.

“What we have seen from the hearing is that there were obvious attempts to whitewash or minimize as much as they can the liability of the Caloocan policemen,” Mr. Drilon, a former justice secretary, said in a statement on Friday.

He said Mr. Aguirre showed partiality “in favor of the Caloocan policemen” when he characterized the death of the 17-year old student as “collateral damage” and an “isolated incident.”

“That is the worst statement I’ve ever heard from a justice secretary, whose principal mission is to uphold the rule of law and strengthen the people’s belief in our justice system,” the senator added.

‘THIS IS MURDER.’

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ (UN) special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, took to Twitter her response to the delos Santos case and qualified the minor’s death as a “murder.”

To be sure, even Ms. Acosta has described what happened to Mr. delos Santos as such.

“Yes, P[resid]ent Duterte, this is murder. All unlawful deaths must be investigated. To stop all murderers #Philippines,” Ms. Callamard tweeted.

“Autopsy confirms execution of #KianDelosSantos, latest symbol of a massive, government-led, human rights crisis,” she also said in a separate tweet.

Ms. Callamard, a vocal critic of Mr. Dutert drug war, previously faced harsh criticism from Duterte loyalists over an unofficial visit she made to the Philippines in May that the government claims was not authorized.

She was set to visit the Philippines to conduct an independent investigation on the alleged summary executions of suspected drug users, but this has been indefinitely put on hold as the government and the UN have reached a stalemate regarding conditions on the probe.

Ms. Callamard was among those who have added their collective voice to the clamor against the killing of Mr. Delos Santos and the conduct of the revitalized drug war, which saw its bloodiest outcome yet last week.

Commenting on the UN rapporteur’s tweets, Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Omar Alexander V. Romero told reporters yesterday that Malacañang will wait for the results of investigations on Mr. Delos Santos’s death.

“Until there is a finding by a competent court that it is murder, that we can agree but we look forward to the results of the impartial investigation on this incident.” Mr. Romero said.

Mr. Duterte earlier vowed to bring justice for Mr. Delos Santos and assured the public that the cops behind the slay will “rot in jail” if proven guilty.

But despite the simmering public anger over the case, Mr. Duterte yesterday said his tough policy against drug-traffickers – which has been a hallmark of his three-decade political career – will remain.

The President also assured the police force he once accused of being “corrupt to core” of his protection as long as they do not commit crimes.

In a statement issued yesterday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella said Mr. Delos Santos’s case is a “wake-up call” for government institutions to reform, including law enforcement agencies.

“The President has clearly stated that the war against drugs is not a license to break the law….Those found responsible would be held accountable before the law,” Mr. Abella said.

“We hope this serves as a reminder to the PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel to follow the established PNP policies and operational procedures; that their personnel are properly guided in the conduct of police operations, particularly in the adherence to the rule of law and due process,” he added. – with Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral









