Panelo on Kian’s death: You cannot kill somebody like that

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

“You cannot kill somebody like that.”

That was how Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo condemned Monday the killing of 17-year old Kian Delos Santos during a drug operation in Caloocan City on August 16.

Panelo echoed President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that “those who will abuse their authority will have to pay; they will not go unpunished.”

Panelo emphasized the need for an investigation on the killing of Delos Santos even though others said he was a drug runner.

“Kaya talagang kailangan ma-imbestigahan kung ano talaga ang nangyari. Maraming nagsasabi na drug runner daw iyong si ano… iyong bata,” he said in an interview over Radyo Singko.

“But kahit na drug runner iyan, you cannot just kill somebody like that,” he added.

Delos Santos was shot dead on the night of August 17 by the police who claimed that the minor had fired on them when he saw them coming.

But several witnesses, however, said the police had beaten up the boy, gave him a gun, and forced him to run before shooting him.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella has said the killing was “isolated.”

Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta on Monday said they were already preparing the filing of a complaint against the police officers involved in killing of Delos Santos. JE