PNP denies victim was slain during anti-drugs operations

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) on Monday said the postmortem on the body of former University of the Philippines (UP) student Carl Angelo Arnaiz showed he was tortured and shot five times in the body that led to his death.

Two rookie policemen chasing a taxi robber gunned down the 19-year-old Arnaiz after he allegedly resisted arrest on early Friday, August 18, 2017 in Barangay 28, Caloocan. Arnaiz, according to PAO, sustained five gunshot wounds –four in the chest and one in the right arm. Also, it revealed that both wrists of the victim were swollen with handcuff marks.

“Ang bangkay niya ay nakitaan po ng bakas ng torture at [may nakita] rin pong bakas ng posas sa kanyang dalawang kamay,” Acosta said.

Based on Caloocan police’s spot report, Arnaiz drew a gun and fired at the policemen chasing him. Two plastic sachets of marijuana leaves and three sachets containing shabu were seized from him, police claimed.

But the PAO and Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara likened the incident to the case of Kian delos Santos, 17, who was killed by policemen during an anti-illegal drugs operation in Barangay 160, Caloocan City on August 16, two days after Arnaiz’s death. Police claimed Kian was a drug runner who was killed after he allegedly resisted arrest. But Barangay 160 officials said Kian was not in their drug watch-list.

Acosta lamented the similarity of what happened to Arnaiz and Delos Santos, saying there was somewhat of a pattern.

“Bakit ganito ang pattern? May pagkakahalintulad ito sa kaso ni Kian (Why is the pattern like this? This case is like what happened to Kian Delos Santos),” she said.

PNP airs side

Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), however, appealed to the public not compare the two cases, although Caloocan City policemen are involved anew.

For one, Dela Rosa said the case of Arnaiz is not an illegal drugs-related operation initiated by the police like that of Delos Santos who was allegedly mistaken as a drug courier.

“That is a case of police response. The police responded because a taxi driver was held up. When he was held up, he reported the incident to the police,” said Dela Rosa.

What the cops did, according to Dela Rosa, is to scour the area where the suspect might have fled with the taxi driver. Then an unidentified man, who would turn out to be Arnaiz, was shot dead when he allegedly shot it out with the cops.

“Ang punto ay bakit kailangang bugbugin at barilin ang batang ito (Arnaiz). Kung ito man ay suspected holdupper, sana pinosasan [at] dinala sa presinto – kinasuhan at in-inquest (The point is that why did they torture and gunned down Arnaiz. If he was really a suspect for robbery, they should have just handcuffed and took him to the precinct – filed charges and underwent inquest proceedings),” PAO Chief Persida Rueda Acosta said over a radio interview with DZMM.

“We should teach our police proper law enforcement and that their role is to bring suspects to justice and not be executioners. We don’t need killing machines. We need speedy, fair, and efficient justice machines that people can trust, and don’t fear,” Angara said.

The PAO forensic team, led by Dr. Erwin Erfe, also learned that the trajectory of the bullets were downward, the same with Kian. Based on the autopsy, he was already sprawled on the ground when he was killed.

The PAO already has one witness on the killing of Arnaiz, Acosta disclosed.

Unlike in the case of Delos Santos, Barangay 28 in Caloocan failed to provide a close-circuit television (CCTV) footage. Acosta said she was told by barangay officials that the CCTV was not functioning on the day Arnaiz was killed.

“Ang sinasabi ng barangay, sira ang CCTV. Wala raw CCTV. Pero bakit ganoon, bigla raw nasira (The barangay officials said that the CCTV was not working that day. But why is it that when killings happened, the CCTV is not working)?” the PAO chief asked.

Caloocan Diocese Bishop Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David said “wrecked” CCTV footages are usual when a killing in Camanava area happens, saying that after a few days the CCTVs are as good as new.

“When killings happen in Camanava, the CCTV footages are not functioning. We ask for the footages but the usual reason they give us is that they’re not functioning,” he told the Manila Bulletin. “After a few days, it’s working again.”

In the case of Delos Santos, David said, the chairman of Barangay 160 gave the CCTV video that made the case against the cops stronger.

“Luckily for Kian’s parents, the young barangay chairman gave the CCTV footages,” he said.

Cabbie’s account

Tomas Bagcal, the taxi driver allegedly robbed by Arnaiz, said the teenager flagged down his cab in Navotas City at around 3:30 a.m. of August 18. He said the teenager told him to proceed to 5th Avenue, Caloocan.

When his cab reached C-3 Road, Arnaiz hit the back of his head using a caliber .38 revolver and took his wallet.

The taxi driver positively identified the teenager as the one who robbed him.

“Hindi ko akalaing holdupper [siya] kasi ang bait ng itsura (I never thought he was a holdupper because he looked as a good person),” Bagcal said.

Bagcal showed a fresh wound on his right hand allegedly caused by the teenager.

‘Relieved’

The two cops involved in the death of the 19-year-old former UP student, were relieved from their posts Monday morning to night to pave way for an impartial probe on the death of Arnaiz. Also, Likewise, the Police Community Precinct 2 head was administratively relieved due to “command responsibility.”

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Oscar Albayalde said Chief Inspector Fortunato Ecle, PCP 2 commander; and the two policemen – PO1s Jefrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita – will be temporarily moved to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit as the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) starts their probe. (With reports from Mario B. Casayuran and Aaron B. Recuenco)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Jel Santos and Kate Louise Javier

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