MANILA – The Caloocan policemen accused of killing schoolboy Kian Lloyd delos Santos in cold blood have submitted their counter-affidavits, affirming their claim that the student had fought them when arrested in an anti-drug sweep through his neighborhood on the night of Aug. 17, 2017.
PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda and PO1 Jerwin Cruz submitted their joint affidavit at the continuation of the preliminary investigation by the Department of Justice on Monday.
The parents of delos Santos, witnesses, and Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Atty. Persida Acosta attended the hearing.
In their counter-affidavit, the police-respondents asked the DOJ to throw out for lack of evidence the charges of murder and torture against them.
They said those who testified against them are not eyewitnesses.
The policemen insisted that the 17-year-old Kian had resisted arrest.
They admitted they were the ones seen on a CCTV in a basketball court, as they led away a man, but denied that man was Kian. He was an asset, they said.
The respondents said only Oares had engaged Kian because Cruz and Pereda had to attend to shielding the asset.
They said their superior officer, Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, did not issue a shoot to kill order to them.
They rued that the media and politicians had twisted the issues, and that the case had been blown out of proportion.
PAO chief Acosta, for her part, said her agency will submit their reply to the counter-affidavit on Monday.
They will study as well whether or not to submit the case for resolution already.
PAO will also submit on Monday the records of the police-respondents from the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS).
The PNP-IAS records are crucial because they contain the names of the John Does who were part of the mission.
