The three Caloocan cops involved in the anti-drug police operation that led to the death of 17-year-old Kian Lloyd delos Santos committed lapses, revealed Internal Affairs Service Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo.
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According to Triambulo, the cops – PO4 Arnel Oares; PO1 Jeremias Pereda; and PO1 Jerwin Cruz – will face complaints for serious irregularity in the performance of duty.
On the other hand, Caloocan City police chief Senior Superintendent Chito Bersaluna and precinct commander Chief Inspector Amor Cerilo will face complaints of serious neglect of duty due to command responsibility, especially in Kian’s death where serious lapses were noted.
Triambulo added that the cops failed to adhere to the parameters in the police operation conducted under Double Barrel Reloaded, including the following:
- He pointed out the distance of the police vehicle from the area where Kian was nabbed and later found dead.
“Ang kanilang sasakyan ay nakaparada sa lugar na malayo sa pinagdamputan kay Kian at hindi nila dinala doon sa kanilang mobile na supposedly dapat doon dalhin habang sinisearch mo siya at saka dadalhin sa presinto,” Triambulo said. “Dinala nila sa isang basketbolan at sa isang sulok kung saan siya (Kian) natagpuang patay.”
- He noted the police officers’ failure to provide a sketch of the police operation.
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“So ‘yung sketch ay para madaling ipaliwanag sa kapag nagtestimonya na ito ang lugar, dito nakaparada ang mobile, dito kinuha, hindi dinala dito at dinala doon sa sulok. ‘Yun ang hindi nila nagawa,” he said.
- Kian was not handcuffed, which could have helped in restraining the boy to prevent him from fighting back.
“Hindi nila nilagyan ng posas para ma-restrain kung lumaban, hindi nila ginawa ‘yun,” Triambulo said.
- Other lapses include the cops’ failure to submit an operation report, conducting an operation without wearing a uniform, and not coordinating with the barangay officials or coordinating but doing so beyond the prescribed hours.
Triambulo added that two of the cops admitted that they were the ones seen in the CCTV footage dragging Kian, although their statement did not say if they were the ones who shot the schoolboy. However, one of the cops, PO1 Jerwin Cruz, later claimed that it was not Kian in the CCTV but a police asset.
The cops’ gave their statements on August 17, a day after Kian was shot to death.
The Senate started the investigation into Kian’s death on August 24, where it was found out that the bullet found in Kian’s body came from the gun of the leader of the anti-drug operation in Caloocan City, PO3 Oares. This was based on the statement from Cerilloo during the hearing.
The Office of the Ombudsman also started their probe into the boy’s death, as announced by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on August 29.
Kian’s family filed murder and torture charges against the three cops on August 25 with the assistance of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lawyers.
Sources: ( gmanetwork.com , abs-cbn.com , rappler.com , cnnphilippines.com )
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