THE Public Attorney’s Office is now preparing murder charges against police officers involved in the killing of 17-year-old Kian Lloyd delos Santos, after autopsy results showed he suffered two gunshot wounds in the head and a “treacherous wound” in the back.
“We are already collating all the evidence that we will use in the filing of the complaint within the week,” PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said.
“PAO will not condone abuse,” she added in Filipino.
Although police said they returned fire from Kian during an anti-drug operation, CCTV footage showed two policemen dragging the teenager from one alley to another, where his body was found.
Acosta said Kian’s family sought the help of PAO to charge the policemen responsible for their son’s death.
The autopsy was conducted upon the family’s request Sunday morning by a team of forensic experts led by Dr. Erwin Erfe.
The examination showed the first entry wound was on Kian’s back. A second entry wound was behind his left ear, while the third entry point was inside his left ear. Both shots to the head exited on the right side.
Erfe and his team of forensic experts said the first and second shots were fired while Kian was on the ground, face down. On the third wound inside Kian’s ear, the shooter was on the boy’s left side.
Erfe said they could not tell if the same shooter fired all three shots, but all came from a 9mm firearm.
Kian was killed during a police anti-drug operation in Barangay 160 in Caloocan City on the evening of Aug. 16.
The three policemen involved in the killing—Police Officers 1 Jeremias Pereda and Jerwin Cruz and Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares—have been relieved along with their precinct commander, Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo and Caloocan police chief Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna.
Acosta, who inspected the site where Kian was killed after an alleged chase and a brief exchange of fire, said “Here? There’s nowhere to run!”
Members of the National Bureau of Investigation also returned to the crime scene as part of a parallel investigation.
Agents took statements from members of the Delos Santos family and residents in the area.
The parallel investigation came on orders of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who has already expressed openness to placing Delos Santos’ family and witnesses to the incident under the provisional coverage of the Witness Protection Program.
Aguirre said he would extend provisional coverage under the WPP if they would apply to the program.
On Monday, the NBI agents started looking for “physical evidence” following claims that Delos Santos was executed and not killed in a shootout as the police claimed.
The police who conducted the drug operations said Delos Santos was armed and fired at them, prompting them to shoot back—an account that CCTV footage and witnesses contradict.
Former vice president Jejomar Binay, who visited Kian’s wake, said the bullet wounds to the head meant the shooters really intended to kill him. With Bill Casas