PNP Internal Affairs exec: Cops in Kian slay nearing dismissal, but…

Kian Loyd delos Santos

The Caloocan City policemen linked to the killing of teenager Kian Loyd delos Santos would have already been kicked out of the service, but their dismissal was averted after the Office of the Ombudsman asked for their case records.

This was according to Alfegar Triambulo, inspector general of the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS), which handled the administrative complaint against the officers over Delos Santos’ death in an antidrug operation in August.

“We were about to draft a decision to be submitted for the approval of the PNP chief,” Triambulo said in an interview on Saturday. “The policemen involved would have already been dismissed because the timeline I gave the Senate during the hearing on Kian’s case was by the end of October.”

He was referring to Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz and PO1 Jeremias Pereda, who were accused of using excessive force on the minor.

Eleven other policemen, including precinct commander Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo, involved in the Aug. 16 “One Time, Big Time” operation in Barangay 160 were included in the administrative charge.

The police claimed that a pistol-wielding Delos Santos, whom they tagged as a drug courier, fired at the arresting officers and was killed by Oares in self-defense.

They also allegedly found packets of “shabu” in the slain teenager’s possession.

Widespread doubts about this official account drew fresh public outrage over President Duterte’s bloody antidrug campaign, especially after another set of Caloocan policemen was implicated in the death of two more teenagers—Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman—that same month.

The case folders of the Delos Santos case were forwarded to the Ombudsman on Oct. 25 by the PNP-IAS, which was then close to resolving the case.

The Ombudsman maintained that it had exclusive jurisdiction over the case involving the police officers in view of a complaint filed against them in that agency by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Triambulo said he informed the Office of the Ombudsman that there was already an ongoing administrative procedure on the case.

He also cited a memorandum of agreement which limited the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction over policemen charged with corruption.

Kian’s case, he said, was “plain murder.”

“The Ombudsman was very insistent despite those grounds I raised (to keep the case with the PNP-IAS),” the official said. After I received several subpoenas from them (Ombudsman) I gave way to their request (for the case).”

The documents handed over included the summary hearing records as well as the written arguments submitted by the parties.

Nevertheless, Triambulo said the case would be probably better off being handled by the Office of the Ombudsman as it would put to rest any fear of a whitewash.

“There were a lot of indignation rallies in October because (the protesters) were probably apprehensive that there might be a whitewash of the case with the IAS being part of the PNP organization,” he noted.