THE father of the 17-year-old Grade 11 student killed in a police operation in Caloocan said Friday that his son was not involved in drugs, and that he was the victim of official abuse and misconduct.
Saldy delos Santos, father of victim Kian Lloyd, accused the police of unjustly killing his son after footage from the barangay CCTV showed two men, not in uniform, dragging the teenager to where he was found dead.
In a later scene, the boy was seen slumped on the ground, face down. In his left hand was a gun—but Kian Loyd was right-handed, Delos Santos said.
The boy also had a bullet wound on the back of his leg.
The CCTV footage and neighbors belied police claims that the boy fired at them first.
Delos Santos sought justice for his son. His mother, who worked in the Middle East, was said to have flown back Thursday night.
The precinct commander and three other policemen were relieved over the incident.
Caloocan City police commander Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna said in a radio interview that the area—barangay 160—where the boy’s family lives, had reports of drug activity.
He ordered a thorough investigation of the incident and said he would not tolerate any misdeeds by erring police.
Senator Francis Escudero said the CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts clearly show that the boy was murdered. He said the police officers involved are not only abusive, they are killers and criminals.
He said he hoped President Rodrigo Duterte and PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa would act swiftly, “because the poor boy was not even an addict, much less a pusher.”
Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, in a statement, said that he plans to file a resolution to look into Delos Santos’ death.
“We can see from the footage that he [Delos Santos] never pulled out a gun,” Aquino said.
“I condemn the killing of 17-year-old Kian Lloyd delos Santos in the anti-drug operations conducted by the police in Caloocan City,” Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said, noting that the killing was “very, very disturbing.”
Ejercito pointed out that the CCTV footage clearly showed that the teenager was killed.
“The CCTV footage gives a clear picture that Kian delos Santos was killed. Those policemen should be charged. It makes me angry just watching it,” Ejercito said. With PNA