As far as the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) is concerned, the filing of charges against two Caloocan City policemen over the murder of two teenagers proved that the government has nothing to do with extrajudicial killings.
“Justice prevailed,” PAO chief Persida Acosta said on Saturday when asked to comment on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) filing of murder cases against Police Officers 1 Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita.
“This case proves that there is no state-sponsored illegal killings,” she added.
In a 35-page resolution, the DOJ panel said on Friday that it found the existence of conspiracy in the death of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman at the height of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Both policemen were charged with two counts of murder, planting of evidence in relation to the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act on top of two counts of torture.
At the same time, the charges against taxi driver Tomas Marleo Bagcal were dismissed as there was no overt act to indicate he was part of the conspiracy.
The two teenagers, both residents of Cainta, Rizal, were last seen boarding a tricycle around midnight of Aug. 18, 2017.
Ten days later, Arnaiz’s body was found in a funeral parlor in Caloocan City. The teen allegedly died in a shootout with policemen after robbing Bagcal.
De Guzman’s stab-wound-riddled body was found floating in a creek in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, last Sept. 6.
A witness claimed he saw policemen alight from a patrol car and shoot a handcuffed Arnaiz despite his pleas for mercy.
Acosta said they would be coordinating with the DOJ panel of prosecutors in preparation for the trial.
She added that the teenagers’ parents were thankful that charges had been filed against their sons’ killers.