Kabataan solon says gov’t anti-drug campaign is  ‘a war on the masses’

Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago. INQUIRER file photo

The conviction of the three policemen involved in the murder of Kian delos Santos, 17, proved that President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs was “a war on the masses,” Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago said on Thursday.

READ: 3 policemen guilty of killing Kian delos Santos — court

While the opposition lawmaker welcomed the decision of the Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 125 declaring PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda, and PO1 Jerwin Cruz, guilty of murdering Delos Santos on August 2017, Elago denounced the acquittal of the three from planting evidence on the minor.

“Those policemen should be jailed. Justice has been long overdue at this point,” she said.

“He (Duterte) has destroyed not only the life of Kian, but the life of the youth of whose families and their futures have been destroyed by the War on Drugs. This goes to show that Duterte’s campaign to end drugs is his campaign to end the poor,” she added.

Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao also said justice should also be served against the other authorities accountable for Delos Santos’ death, including Duterte.

“Hindi pa ito ang buong hustisya para kay Kian. Dahil marami sa sangkot ng pagpatay kay Kian ang nakaeskapo sa kanilang dapat kapanagutan. Napromote pa ang iba,” Casilao said.

READ: PAO warns other cops after conviction of Kian’s killers

“Dapat isama siya (Duterte) sa pananagutin at dapat itigil na niya ang kanyang gera sa droga. Yan ang kompletong hustisya para kay Kian at iba pang biktima,” he added.

The conviction should start a series of prosecutions, trials, and confessions on the part of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin pointed out.

“The blood spilled was the blood of the poor—the same blood now staining the PNP’s reputation as protectors of the people. Our PNP should fully accept this verdict and start re-orienting the institution to abide (by) the rule of law and human rights. Only then can justice and accountability be made into a reality,” Villarin said.

Delos Santos was murdered during a “one-time big time” drug raid launched by a team of Caloocan City police on the night of Aug. 16. Police claimed he was a drug runner and killed him after he fought it out against them.

Contrary to police’s narrative, five witnesses said Delos Santos was dragged, choked and punched by policemen. A closed-circuit television footage also corroborated these claims, while an autopsy conducted by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) indicated that he was shot “while kneeling down.”

Congress looked into this, and even the President hinted he, too, believed that something was wrong about Delos Santos’ death.

Later on, a total of 16 members of the Caloocan City Station 7, including its head, Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo, were charged with murder and torture complaints after it was proven that they had a hand in the death of the minor. But only the three policemen had been convicted. /jpv

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