PAO on raps vs Caloocan cops: Justice prevailed

MANILA, Philippines — The filing of murder cases against two Caloocan City policemen for the killing of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman proves that there are no state sponsored-killings in the country, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta yesterday said.

Acosta issued the statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors decided to charge Police Officers 1 Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita with murder.

“The PAO and the National Prosecution Service belong to the state and we will not tolerate any illegal killings even by state agents,” she said, adding that “justice prevailed” by virtue of the DOJ resolution.

Aside from the murder cases, the policemen are also charged for planting evidence such as a .38 caliber revolver and illegal drugs, namely shabu and marijuana, and for allegedly torturing the 19-year-old Arnaiz and 14-year-old De Guzman. 

The cases were filed before the Caloocan regional trial court last Friday. 

Acosta said the families of the victims have been informed about the resolution of the case.

“They are very thankful to all (those who supported the search for the truth about Carl and Kulot’s killings),” she said.

The two teenagers reportedly went missing on Aug. 18 last year. Ten days later Arnaiz’s body, with gunshot wounds, was found in a funeral parlor in Caloocan while De Guzman’s body that bore stab wounds was found floating in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija.

Meanwhile, DOJ acting prosecutor general Jorge Catalan Jr. hinted that they would soon issue their resolution on the preliminary investigation on the shooting of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos, who was also reportedly killed by members of the Caloocan police last year while they were conducting an anti-drug operation.