Zaldy delos Santos (in cap) comforts his wife Lorenza beside the casket of their 17-year-old son Kian Loyd. The boy was killed in a police antidrug operation in Caloocan City on August 16, 2017. —LYN RILLON
Denying ties in the narcotics trade, the father of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos challenged on Monday Caloocan City policemen who killed his son during an anti-drug raid to undergo a drug test.
Delos Santos’ father, Zaldy, denied that he had friends who used illegal drugs and belied accusations by the Philippine National Police (PNP) that he was a drug courier.
“Sana wag naman nilang ganunin, pangit naman po eh, kami na po ang nawalan eh. Alam naman ng mga taong nakapaligid sa amin kung anong klase kaming tao,” Zaldy said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart.”
“Hindi ko po kilala yun. Hindi namin kapitbahay yun. Ngayon ko lang nakita yung mukha nun,” he added when asked if he knew the witness against him presented by the police on Sunday.
Kian’s father immediately said that he was willing to undergo a drug test, and challenged the policemen who killed his son to also get tested.
“Saka yung police na yun sana ganun (drug test) din ang gawin sa kanya,” Zaldy said when asked if he was willing to subject himself to a drug test.
Zaldy said he voted for President Rodrigo Duterte in last year’s presidential elections, and that he even supported his campaign against illegal drugs.
“Syempre masakit sa amin na sumuporta tapos ang anak ko naging biktima pa,” he said.
The father also appealed to the President and the Senate to help their family get justice for his son.
“Bigyan nya ng hustisya yung anak ko, yun lang po. Papanagutin lang po kung sino yung gumawa sa anak ko,” said Zaldy.
Delos Santos was shot dead by policemen on Wednesday, August 16, 2017, during an alleged drug bust in Barangay 160 in Caloocan City.
Contrary to the police’s claim that delos Santos “resisted” arrest, several witnesses said the victim was mauled by the arresting cops, given a gun and told to run before he was shot dead. A closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage also showed that the victim was being dragged by the policemen. CBB