THE Philippine National Police (PNP) Internal Affairs Service (IAS) said it failed to make a recommendation on the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos because the Office of the Ombudsman insisted on taking over.
IAS inspector general Alfegar Triambulo said they completed the investigation and drafted a position paper on October 20, but he failed to make a recommendation before the Ombudsman took over.
“Dapat ang Kian case tapos na noong October pa. Hindi ako tinigilan ng Ombudsman na kunin nila ‘yun kahit anong explanation ko na nauna na kami at tapos na ang hearing (The investigation into the Kian case should have been completed by October. But the Ombudsman insisted on taking over despite my explanation that we have already conducted the investigation and the hearings were done),” he said.
“Sinulatan ako ng sinulatan pinapatawag pa ako doon. Pina-subpoenahan ako, wala akong magawa binigay ko na. Ang pinagtataka ko sila ay magimbestiga pa, ako gagawa na lang ng resolution kasi tapos na hearing at position paper. Wala pa nga sila tapos na ako. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang interes nila. Bigyan lang daw sila kaya ibinigay ko ayaw ko ng away,” he added.
(They kept writing letters to me. They sent me a subpoena. I can’t do anything that is why I gave it up. I was just wondering why they were interested in the case when I have finished the hearings and position paper. All that was needed is a resolution. I gave it to them because I don’t want any quarrel with them.)
Although they are mandated to cooperate with other investigative bodies of the government, Triambulo said this applies only to the criminal aspect. He said the IAS is tasked to investigate administrative charges against policemen.
However, he said they could have had an airtight case against Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officers 1 Jeremias Pereda and Jerwin Cruz, considering they admitted that they were the ones seen in the CCTV footage who were dragging a person believed to be Delos Santos. The officers, however, claimed it was a police asset.
Delos Santos was shot dead during the conduct of Oplan Galugad in Barangay 160 on August 16.
Police claimed he was killed in a shootout but witnesses said there was no shootout and that Delos Santos was kneeling and pleading for his life when he was shot.
A witness also said he saw the policemen dragging Delos Santos towards their alley. This matched the CCTV footage.
Police officials later admitted they did not have information that Delos Santos was involved in illegal drugs prior to the operation and only knew about it when they arrested on October 17 a drug suspect who claimed to have transacted with the teenager.
Delos Santos’ kin, however, denied the police claim.
The killing of the teenager sparked protests and, along with another controversial teen killing and an illegal raid conducted by the Caloocan police, later led to the relief of the entire police force. (SunStar Philippines)