CA upholds Caloocan cop’s conviction in Arnaiz, De Guzman case

Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman. FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the conviction of a Caloocan police officer for planting evidence and torturing teenagers Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman in 2017, at the height of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

In a 50-page ruling, the CA Second Division affirmed the lower court’s decision convicting PO1 Jefrey Perez of planting drugs and a gun on Carl Arnaiz. Perez received three life imprisonment sentences.

READ: Caloocan cop found guilty for ‘drug war’ deaths of two teens

Nineteen-year-old Arnaiz, a student at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and 14-year-old de Guzman were neighbors in Cainta, Rizal.

On the evening of Aug. 18, 2017, they went out for a snack and disappeared.

Arnaiz’s body was found at a funeral home in Caloocan 10 days later, while de Guzman’s body was discovered in a creek in Nueva Ecija on September 6, 2017. He had sustained 25 stab wounds.

The CA lamented the loss of the two teenagers’ lives, saying: “The cases of Carl and Kulot highlight the harsh reality of police misconduct—where those meant to safeguard us become abusers.”

“Kulot, a minor, and Carl, a promising young man, lost their futures due to a system that permits torture, murders, and the fraudulent planting of evidence,” it also said.

It also emphasized that achieving justice requires not just punishing offenders, but eradicating the “culture of impunity that enables these violations.”

“The heartbreaking losses of their lives should act as a rallying cry for reforming law enforcement, enhancing judicial oversight, and ensuring that no further lives are claimed by those who are meant to protect,” the CA also said.