Key witness in Kian slay now under WPP

The key witness in the death of 17-year old Kian Loyd delos Santos is now under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday said the female witness, identified only as “Choleng”, has been given provisional coverage under the WPP upon the request of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).

“The witness has been provisionally accepted in WPP pending assessment of her application for full coverage. She is now in a safe house,” he said in a text message.

In her affidavit, Choleng claimed, “I saw the policemen carrying Kian. One of them was holding Kian’s neck with his arms. They brought Kian to the lower basketball court of our barangay.”

Choleng also said she even confronted the policemen upon learning that the teenager was shot dead.

“Why did you kill the kid? You shouldn’t have killed him. You should have jailed him instead,” she recalled telling the police.

The eyewitness’ account was supported by the barangay CCTV footage of the area.

A forensic exam conducted by the PAO showed that Kian sustained three gunshot wounds—at the back of the left ear, inside the left ear and at the back.

The PAO submitted these pieces of evidence to support the murder and torture charges against the policemen.

Earlier, Kian’s parents, Saldy and Lorenza, have filed charges of murder and torture against the four policemen involved in the operation, namely Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officers 1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz, all of Caloocan City Police Station 7.

Saldy and Lorenza were also placed under provisional coverage of the WPP.

The DOJ panel of prosecutors has already summoned the policemen and set preliminary investigation hearings on the case on Sept. 14 and 21. kga