PNP-IAS orders dismissal of 2 Caloocan cops involved in Arnaiz slay

PNP-IAS Chief Atty. Alfegar Triambulo orders the dismissal of Caloocan City cops involved in the killing of teen Carl Angelo Arnaiz. INQUIRER.net / JHOANNA BALLARAN

The Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) has ordered the dismissal of the two Caloocan City policemen involved in the killing of 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz, its chief said Thursday.

PNP-IAS Insp. Gen. Alfegar M. Triambulo recommended the dismissal from service of Police Officer 1 (PO1) Ricky Arquilita and Jeffrey Perez for grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer over the killing of Arnaiz.

Triambulo said the PNP-IAS investigation showed there was an intention to kill the teenager.

“‘Yung findings namin base dun sa (Our findings based on the) physical and testimonial evidence gathered by our investigators, talagang sinadya, may intensyon na patayin (there was an intention to kill Arnaiz),” he said.

The PNP-IAS also ordered the demotion of the policemen’s commander, Police Community Precinct 2 Chief Insp. Fortunato Ecle, for grave neglect of duty and less grave neglect of duty.

The resolution is now at the office of PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa for signing.

Arnaiz went missing on August 18 and was found dead 10 days later in a Caloocan City morgue. According to the police, Arnaiz was killed in a shootout after fighting it out with the authorities.

His death was a subject of a Department of Justice preliminary investigation.

Damning evidence

Triambulo said the statement of taxi driver Tomas Bagcal, as corroborated with the statements of another witness, was the most glaring evidence against Arquilita and Perez.

“Nagtugma doon sa mga pangyayari, pati na iyong (It matched with the incidents, even the) scene of the crime and the trajectory of the bullets plus the testimony ng medico-legal officer ng [Public Affairs Office],” Triambulo said.

However, the IAS investigation was unable to establish the motive of the killing, Triambulo said.

“Dahil maraming haka-haka, itong tinatawag nila na meron daw extra-judicial killing. Kaya tinitingnan natin ‘yung surrounding circumstances, possibly to obtain motive why they execute [Arnaiz],” he added.

(There were lots of speculations, one of them saying it was an extrajudicial killing. That’s why we were looking on the surrounding circumstances, possibly to obtain motive why they execute Arnaiz.)

Triambulo said the investigation found that Arnaiz and his companion, Reynaldo de Guzman, have no records in nearby barangays.

The IAS chief, however, emphasized that it was not a case of extrajudicial killing as there was no clear order from his immediate commander to execute Arnaiz.

“Hindi din, dahil even doon sa kanyang immediate commander, which is Ecle, wala tayong makukuha [na impormasyon] na merong utos. Parang lumabas na [ginawa nila ito] at their own,” he explained.

(We cannot consider it as extrajudicial killing because even from his immediate commander, Ecle, we did not find any information that there was a command to kill. It was apparent that they acted on their own.) /je