Navotas RTC to try cops in Carl, Kulot slays

Carl Arnaiz

The murder charges filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against two former Caloocan police officers tagged in the torture-slay of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman will now be heard by the Navotas Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Criminal Case Nos. N18342-43 against former Maypajo precinct officers PO1s Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita have been raffled off to the sala of Branch 287 Judge Romana Maria Lindayag-del Rosario after a Caloocan court last week dismissed the same charges for lack of jurisdiction.

Earlier, state prosecutors sought the withdrawal of the criminal information for murder following a key witness’ testimony that he saw Arnaiz being shot along “C3 Road, corner Dalagang Bukid and Tanigue Streets” in August last year.

Jurisdiction of Navotas

After conferring with the Navotas City assessors, state prosecutors determined that the area fell under the jurisdiction of Navotas City.

In her May 9 resolution, Caloocan RTC Branch 122 Judge Georgina Hidalgo opted to dismiss the charges as the law forbade the court from withdrawing the information in midtrial.

Hidalgo also stressed the importance of the venue in hearing criminal cases.

However, she kept the other charges against the two policemen—torture and the planting of evidence—in her sala.

Torture, murder, frame-up

Arquilita and Perez were both accused of torturing, killing and later framing up Arnaiz, 19, and De Guzman, 14.

They claimed that Arnaiz, a former University of the Philippines student, had engaged them in a gunfight after robbing a taxi driver.

Arnaiz was found in a morgue 10 days later, while De Guzman was found with at least 30 stab wounds in a creek in Nueva Ecija province.