THERE is no guarantee that the death of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos will be the last in the bloody war on drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday.
“That’s bullshit,” Duterte said, responding to calls by his European critics, including UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, to stop the killings with Delos Santos’ death.
“You’re saying that Kian’s death should be the last, but [son of a bitch], who are you to say that?” he said.
Duterte said if he stops fighting drugs, more families will become “dysfunctional.”
“I’m sensitive [about] this. I told you before, do not destroy the Filipino. But these silly people, they don’t understand that it’s really a fight for life,” the President said.
“In this fight, it’s a matter of life and death for us. In a family, if there is a member or two who are into drugs, that family becomes dysfunctional. Your life will be ruined,” he said.
The President added that those who criticize his bloody drug war would lead the country into great perdition.
“Today, we have a great opportunity to finally rid of our nation of its many problems and usher in real, lasting and meaningful change,” the President said. “But some people don’t get that.”
Kian, a Grade 11 student, was killed Aug. 16 in a city-wide anti-drug operation in Caloocan City, with the policemen claiming the teenager had fired at them first, prompting them to shoot back and kill the boy.
But this account was contradicted by CCTV footage, eyewitnesses and autopsy findings that showed Kian did not fire a gun before he died.
Malacanang had earlier dismissed Delos Santos’ killing as an “isolated” case, but later backtracked, saying that the law should be allowed to run its course.
Kian’s family, with the help of the Public Attorney’s Office, filed murder and torture complaints against the policemen involved–Caloocan City Station 7 Police Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officers 1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz and several John Does.
The Justice department has created a three-member panel to conduct the preliminary investigation of the complaint.
Named to the panel are Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Toffel Austria, Assistant State Prosecutor Amanda Garcia and Associate Prosecution Attorney Moises Acayan.
The panel will file charges against and prosecute the suspects if the evidence warrants.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, meanwhile, has ordered the transfer of Caloocan City Prosecutor Darwin Cañete to Mandaluyong City.
Cañete, who was with the police who investigated the crime scene where Kian was found dead, was criticized for statements that favored the policemen involved in the shooting.
Aguirre transferred Cañete after appointing the Caloocan Prosecutors Office to handle the preliminary investigation.
Aguirre said Cañete’s transfer was due to threats to his security.
