Ex-cop tagged in teenagers’ slay denied bail

MANILA, Philippines — A Navotas judge has denied the bail petition of a former policeman who is being tried for the murder of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman.

Judge Romana Lindayag del Rosario of the Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 287 said in an order released recently that there was sufficient evidence to try Jeffrey Perez, a former Caloocan City police patrolman, for the victims’ death.

“With the evidence thus presented by the prosecution, the court finds the evidence sufficient to sustain the continued prosecution of the accused without opportunity to post bail. There is reason to uphold therefore [the] constitutional provision which provides that in crimes punishable by reclusion perpetua, when the evidence of guilt is strong, bail is no matter of right,” Del Rosario said.

She also ordered the dismissal of the charges filed against the other suspect, police Pat. Ricky Arquilita, who died on April 20 due to multiple complications, including “massive blood loss, upper gastrointestinal bleeding,” gall stones in the bile duct and “multiple liver nodules that were possibly malignant.”

On Aug. 18, 2017, Arnaiz went missing from his family’s house in Cainta, Rizal. He was found in a Caloocan morgue 10 days later. The Caloocan police claimed that Arnaiz and De Guzman had robbed a taxi cab driver, adding that when they tried to arrest Arnaiz, he resisted, triggering a shootout.