THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday started its preliminary investigation on the murder and torture charges filed against four policemen in the killing of student Kian Loyd de los Santos during an antinarcotics operation in Caloocan City last August 16.
During the preliminary investigation, Kian’s parents Saldy and Lorenza were steadfast on their complaint for murder and torture against respondents Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares, and Police Officers 1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz of Caloocan City police station 7.
The de los Santos family is being represented by Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta.
Acosta presented seven of 16 witnesses before the investigating panel of prosecutors, but their names were withheld for security reason. Among those presented was an eyewitness who saw Kian in the custody of the respondents before he was shot dead.
The minor witness who has been in the custody of the Caloocan diocese also appeared in the hearing. The PAO submitted to the DOJ panel the closed-circuit television footages in the area operated by the barangay and results of the forensic exam conducted by the PAO indicating Kian was lying face down when shot three times—twice in his head and once at the back.
“We are confident we filed an airtight case based on the statements of our witnesses and forensic evidence,” Acosta told reporters. Representatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which also filed a separate complaint against the four policemen, appeared in the hearing. They were ordered to present their witnesses in the next hearing.
The DOJ panel consolidated the complaints filed by the parents of Kian and that of the NBI and ordered the respondents accompanied by lawyer Oliver Yuan to answer the charges and file their counter-affidavits in the next hearing set for September 25.
The preliminary investigation was conducted by a panel of prosecutors composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Tofel Austria, Assistant State Prosecutor Amanda Garcia and Associate Prosecution Lawyer Moises Acayan. The panel told the respondents the September 25 deadline to file their counteraffidavits is nonextendible and that failure to submit their answers on that date would lead to immediate submission of the case for resolution.
During the hearing, Acosta asked the prosecutors to summon records of the Philippine National Police to identify the other policemen who joined the Oplan One-Time Big-Time anti-illegal drug operation in August and who would also be named respondents in the complaint.
“We want to include them as respondents in the case, and it will be up to the panel to decide,” she said.