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MANILA, Philippines — A Caloocan police has been convicted of two counts of murder for the death of 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz and 14-year-old Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman during the course of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
The Navotas regional trial court finds Patrolman Jefrey S. Perez guilty for two counts of murder. He is meted with the penalty of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years of imprisonment without eligibility for parole for each count.
Perez was previously convicted of violating the Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2010 against Arnaiz where he was sentenced to a prison term of six months as a minimum to four years and two months as a maximum.
For violation of the same law in relation to De Guzman, the police officer was sentenced to reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years imprisonment.
He has also meted two life terms to Perez for the planting of evidence under RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, in addition to “absolute perpetual disqualification from any public office.”
Arnaiz, a student at the University of the Philippines, and Kulot are neighbors from Cainta, Rizal. On the evening of Aug. 18, 2017, they went out for a snack and disappeared. After ten days, Arnaiz’s body was found at a funeral in Caloocan, while Kulot’s body was found in a creek in Nueva Ecija on Sept. 6, 2017. He sustained 25 stab wounds.
READ: Parents of Carl Arnaiz urge DOJ to quickly resolve murder case vs. cops, cabbie
The killings of Arnaiz and De Guzman took place just two days after Caloocan policemen in anti-drug operations killed 17-year-old Kian De Los Santos.
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