Sotto: Guilty cops in Kian’s murder ‘small percentage’ of police scalawags

TALISAY, Batangas – Senate President Vicente “Tito”  Sotto III said the conviction of the three police officers in relation to the murder of Kian Delos Santos shows that “justice is rolling” amid the government’s war on drugs.

But Sotto, in an ambush interview here Thursday, said the three policemen found guilty of murder, represent only a “small number” of state agents involved in extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

“Scalawags, even among those in uniform, are never gone. What’s important is that they are put on the straight,” said Sotto, who was guest at the launch of Power Watch, a movement against poor electric services in Batangas.

On Thursday, PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda and PO1 Jerwin Cruz were found guilty by the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court of killing Grade 11 student Delos Santos in August 2017.

Delos Santos was earlier accused of involvement in the illegal drugs trade.

Sotto said about 48,000 police operations were carried out as of January 2018 under the government’s campaign against drugs. Figures, however, of supposed EJKs were only about 4,800, he said.

“That will be a very small percentage of the total number..,” Sotto said.

“If we are really blaming EJKs on the police, then there should be 48,000 dead,” he added.

Sotto also said thousands of drug suspects were arrested and cases filed in courts in relation to the war on drugs.