REMEMBERING KIAN In this file photo, residents in Kian delos Santos’ neighborhood in Caloocan City light candles at the place where the 17-year-old was killed by policemen on Aug. 16, 2017. —LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines — Randy delos Santos, the uncle of drug war victim Kian de los Santos, came face to face with former top cop and drug war chief implementer Sen. Bato dela Rosa, recalling how the brutal anti-drug campaign had altered him and his family’s lives.
At the Senate’s Monday hearing into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug campaign dubbed as Oplan Tokhang, Kian’s uncle testified how the 17-year-old’s death affected him.
“Mga ilang araw habang nakaburol ang aking pamangkin, naglabas po ng kasinungalingang statement ang pamunuan ng [Philippine National Police]. Na noon po ay pinamumunuan ng ating kagalang galang na Sen. Bato dela Rosa,” said Randy.
(In the days following my nephew’s wake, the PNP, which was then headed by Sen. dela Rosa, issued a falsified statement.)
READ: The Duterte Administration
“Ang sabi po sa statement, ‘yung uncle daw po at ang tatay daw po ay kilala sa aming lugar na siga, kinatatakutan, at nagbebenta ng droga at ginagamit si Kian delos Santos bilang tagapagbenta nito,” he added.
(The statement indicated that Kian’s uncle and dad were known in their area as troublemakers, fearsome, and drug sellers who used Kian as their pusher.)
Randy said it was true that their family was well-known in their area, but he emphasized that it was not because they were selling drugs, but because they were sharing the word of God as faithful Jehovah’s Witness members.
“Marahil po ang malisyoso, maling pagbibintang na ito ay nakaapekto po sa amin. Inalis po ako sa trabaho dahil sa maling akusasyon na ito,” said Randy.
(This malicious, false accusation may have affected us. I was fired from my job because of this accusation.)
“Tinanggal ako sa trabaho. Dahil po dyan, binalot ng takot ang aming pamilya. Namamarkahan sa publiko, sa national TV na kami po ay identified bilang taga benta ng droga,” he added.
(I was fired. And because of that, fear enveloped our family. We were marked in public, on national TV, that we have been identified as drug pushers.)
In the end, he said justice remains elusive for their family, even after a Caloocan Regional Trial Court sentenced three police officers to up to 40 years in prison for the murder of Kian.
“May gawad po na danyos [ngunit] ‘di pa po namin nakukuha ito. Ang kapatid ko po ngayon ay na-stroke at kalahati ng katawan niya ay lantang gulay,” he said.
(There is an award for damages, but we have not received it yet. My sibling has now suffered a stroke, and half of their body is paralyzed.)
Randy, for his part, maintained that Kian was innocent.
“Hindi po siya nagbebenta ng droga, inosente po at nag-aaral po ang aking pamangkin sa isang pribadong paaralan na kahit po medyo may kataasan ay ginagapang po ng aming pamilya,” he emphasized.
(He did not sell drugs, he was innocent and studied at a private school that, although a bit expensive, our family managed to support.)
Right after Randy delivered his testimony, Sen. dela Rosa immediately interjected, clarifying his stance on Kian’s death.
Dela Rosa said he grieved for Kian’s death, noting that if the same thing had happened to his child, he would also be angry.
“Sino bang maniwala na bata nagtutulak ng droga? Pinatay, e ako may anak din ako. Kung mangyari yun sa anak ko, galit na galit ako,” said dela Rosa.
(Who would believe that a child like him would be a drug pusher? He was killed. I also have a child, if the same thing happens to my child, I would also be very angry.)
The senator then proceeded to defend his name, clarifying that never once did he mention Randy’s name as being involved in the use of illegal drugs.
He, however, admitted to telling the media that he was informed by police operatives in Caloocan that Kian’s father was a drug user.
“Ako’y nagtataka, did I mention the name of a certain Randy delos Santos as involved in drugs? Ang alam ko nabanggit ko noon during one of my interviews na ‘yung sabi ng police [sa] Caloocan na ngayon ay nakakulong, ‘Sir, yung tatay ni Kian mismo, tingnan mo ang mukha. Nauubos na ang ngipin, nauubos na ang gums sa kagagamit ng droga. User ang tatay.’ Kaya ang tinanong ko nga, bakit hindi ang tatay ang pumunta dito? Bakit ang uncle ang nagrereklamo?” asked dela Rosa.
(I’m curious, did I mention a certain Randy delos Santos as being involved in drugs? As far as I know, I said during one of my interviews that the police in Caloocan, who are now in jail, told me, ‘Sir, look at Kian’s father. His teeth are gone, and his gums are deteriorating from using drugs. He’s a user.’ So I asked, why didn’t the father come here? Why is the uncle the one complaining?)
“’Yun ang sabi sa akin ng pulis, what can I do? I received that information, ‘Tingnan mo yung tatay ni Kian — tunaw na tunaw yung panga. Tunaw na tunaw ang ngipin’ — [yan] ang sabi sa akin ng police operative ng Caloocan, so shinare ko lang din sa media. Dahil kitang kita naman kung titingnan mo,” he added.
(That’s what the police told me, what can I do? I received that information: ‘Look at Kian’s father—his jaw is all gone. His teeth are all melted away.’ That’s what a police operative from Caloocan said to me, so I just shared it with the media. Because it’s clearly visible if you look.)
The death of Delos Santos in 2017 drew widespread condemnation of Duterte’s war on illegal drugs.
READ: 3 policemen guilty of killing Kian delos Santos — court
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency listed 6,252 dead in anti-drug police operations from July 1, 2016, to May 31, 2022.
A 2017 year-end report attributed to the Office of the President, however, listed more than 20,000 dead in the first 17 months alone of the Duterte administration.