Caloocan fire no effect on murder case vs cops - DOJ, PAO

MANILA, Philippines — A ranking official of the Department of Justice has assured that the fire that razed the Caloocan City Police station on early Tuesday morning will have no effect on the pending cases of teenage killings before the department.

Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes, in a text message to Philstar.com, stressed: "As of now, it will have no effect as the case is now pending with DOJ."

Police Senior Superintendent Jemar Modequillo, Caloocan city police chief, said records of cases, including suspected extrajudicial killings and deaths under investigation, are not completely lost as there are copies at the Northern Police District headquarters, which is also in the city.

READ: Fire hits Caloocan police station, destroys case files

State prosecutors handling the preliminary investigation deemed the three cases submitted for resolution.

Members of the Caloocan police were named as respondents in the killings of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos, 19-year-old Carl Arnaiz, and 14-year old Reynaldo "Kulot" De Guzman. Their killings are believed to be carried under the government's drug war are now pending resolution before the DOJ.

Criticism of the government's crackdown on drugs, which has subsided over the past months, reignited with the death of three teenagers in August. 

The Public Attorney's Office served as counsel for the families of the slain teenagers.

PAO Chief Persida Acosta, in a text message, also assured that the cases against the cops "remain strong" despite the fire.

READ: Callamard: Kian slay a turning point in Duterte's drug war

Kian's case

On October 27,  the DOJ has wrapped up the preliminary investigation on the case of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, believed to be killed by Caloocan cops in their One Time Big Time operation against illegal drugs on August 16.

Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo, PO2 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremiah Pereda and PO1 Jerwin Cruz of the Caloocan police community precinct 7 are implicated as respondents in Delos Santos' case.

The four Caloocan cops, in their earlier filed counter-affidavit, said that Delos Santos only had himself to blame for his death: "If only Kian Delos Santos did not engage our police officers in a shootout, that tragic incident would not have happened."

According to eyewitnesses accounts, Delos Santos was killed execution style during the August 16 "One Time Big Time" drug operations of the Caloocan cops.

The police claimed that the Grade 11 student, who was reportedly heard pleading for his life, was a drug runner. Delos Santos reportedly resisted arrest and shot at them.

Acosta said that the resolution on the case of Delos Santos may be released "on the end of November."

Kulot, Carl case

On November 10, the DOJ also terminated the probe into the killing of Arnaiz and de Guzman.

Named as respondents in the murder,  torture and planting of evidence case of Arnaiz and De Guzman are PO1 Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Arquilita, along with cabbie Tomas Bagcal who claimed he was robbed by the two.

The two Caloocan cops insisted that they were carrying out a legitimate police operation and Arnaiz shot at them, prompting them to fire back at the teenager.

The two teenagers are believed to be together when they both went missing since the night of August 17.

Their bodies were found in two separate places, 11 days apart: His parents found Arnaiz in a funeral home in Caloocan City, while the body believed to be De Guzman's was found floating in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija on September 6.