DOJ gives protection to parents of Carl Arnaiz

Carl Angelo Arnaiz (Photo from his Facebook account)

The parents of Carl Angelo Arnaiz, a 19-year old former University of the Philippines (UP) who was killed for allegedly fighting the police shortly after a robbery, have been given provisional government protection by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes on Tuesday said Carlito and Eva Arnaiz have been placed under provisional coverage of the Witness Protection Program (WPP) as ordered by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

“Provisionally accepted na po yung prents ni Carl Arnaiz as per instruction of SoJ,” Balmes told reporters.

WPP, which is administered by the DOJ, is a program created under The Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act (Republic Act No. 6981). The program seeks to encourage witnesses to come forward in exchange for protection and other benefits.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started investigating the the circumstances of the teenager’s death.

The NBI has also been tasked by Aguirre to locate Carl’s younger companion.

On Monday, Aguirre met with the Arnaiz family, together with NBI Director Dante Gierran and Persida Acosta, chief of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).

Acosta said her office had already submitted the evidence they had gathered to investigators.

She said they were still gathering more evidence before filing a case against the police officers involved in the operation. /atm