Caloocan court convicts cops in Kian delos Santos slay of murder

FILE: Slain 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos (Photo: Kian Loyd/Facebook)

The three policemen tagged in the case of Kian Loyd delos Santos, a teenager who was killed in an anti-narcotics operation, was found guilty of murder by the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 125 on Thursday, November 29.

In his decision, Judge Rodolfo Azucena, Jr. convicted Police Officer (PO) 3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda, and PO1 Jerwin Cruz and sentenced them to reclusion perpetua or imprisonment of 20 to 40 years without eligibility of parole.

They were also ordered to pay the victim’s family P100,000 as civil indemnity, P100,000 for moral damages, P45,000 for actual damages, and P100,000 as exemplary damages “with interest on all damages hereby awarded at the rate of six percent per annum from the finality of the decision until fully paid.”

However, the court said the three cops were not guilty of planting evidence.

During the hearing, parents of the victim broke into tears as the court convicted the policemen. Oares and Pereda, on the other hand, seemed to be dazed by the decision, while an emotional Cruz leaned in front of his girlfriend.

The ruling came after a year and three months of delos Santos’s first death anniversary. Delos Santos, 17, was killed on August 16, 2017, at Barangay 160, Baesa Libis, Caloocan City.

[READ: Opposition senators remember Kian delos Santos on his 1st death anniversary]

Police earlier claimed that the teenager was a drug courier but the victim’s family denied the allegation.

The teenager’s death sparked outrage from several lawmakers and various groups inside and outside the country, all condemning President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

Solons react

Upon hearing the latest development on delos Santos’s case, Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday described Judge Azucena’s decision as a “compelling verdict” as it shows that justice is still “on hand” not only for the 17-year-old boy but also to others whose deaths were linked to the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 848 which seeks to declare August 16 as “National Day of Remembrance” for delos Santos and other victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under Duterte administration, also praised the ruling, even calling it as “a light in the darkness.”

“Ito rin ay matibay na ebidensiya na nagtuturo sa realidad ng extrajudicial killings (EJKs) sa ilalim ng gobyerno ni Pangulong Duterte (This is also a strong evidence that points to the reality of extrajudicial killings under the administration of President Duterte). The court’s decision proves that EJKs under President Duterte are real, committed no less by rogue elements in the police force,” Hontiveros said.

For Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, although the ruling cannot bring Kian back to life, the court was still able to serve justice for him.

“Binabati namin si Caloocan RTC Judge Rodolfo Azucena, Jr. sa kanyang tapang at paninindigan. Hinahamon namin ang PNP (Philippine National Police) na mas paigtingin pa ang pagsasaayos at pag-iimbestiga ng kanilang ranggo (We are commending Caloocan RTC Judge Rodolfo Azucena, Jr. for his courage and for taking a stand. We are challenging the PNP to tighten the cleansing and investigation of its ranks),” he said.

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, for his part, believes that delos Santos was not only killed by the three cops but by a “violent” police force to which small and poor people are at a disadvantage.

“Hindi ito dapat matapos dito, dapat may magbago, dapat wakasan ang karahasan (This should not end here, there must be a change, violence must stop),” Aquino stressed.

Malacañang also lauded this development and even called it as a “triumph of justice,” adding that the court’s decision only proves that the country has a “robust” judicial system.