Warrant of arrest issued against cops in Carl, Kulot slay

MANILA, Philippines — The local court of Caloocan has issued warrant of arrest against the two Caloocan cops charged for the killing of Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo "Kulot" de Guzman.

The sala of Presiding Judge Georgina Hidalgo of Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 122 issued a warrant of arrest against Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Arquilita on January 23.

The two cops are facing one murder charge each over the slay of Arnaiz, 19, and de Guzman, 14. No bail was recommended for the cases.

Perez and Arquilita are also facing one count of torture each for reportedly beating up the teenagers before killing them.

READ: 2 cops in Carl, Kulot slays charged in court

A charge of planting of evidence each was filed against the two cops for the sachets of marijuana and shabu found in Arnaiz's pockets, and a .38 caliber revolver near Arnaiz's body.

The state prosecutors noted that the drugs and gun were put near the body to make it appear that Arnaiz engaged the cops in a shootout as a "cover up for the intended killing."

On the case of De Guzman, the DOJ said that while it is "unimaginable" how the teenager's body was found in Nueva Ecija, there is a witness testimony that he was the last seen with Arnaiz

"To the mind of the Panel, the circumstantial evidence present in the death of De Guzman suffices to warrant a finding of probable cause against respondents-police Perez and Arquilita also for the crime of murder," the state prosecutors said in their Dec. 18, 2017 resolution.

READ: DOJ files murder, torture raps vs cops linked to Carl, Kulot slay

The DOJ, meanwhile, dismissed murder raps against taxi driver Tomas Marleo Bagcal. "It bears to stress that suspicion does not constitute evidence and could not be taken against the respondent," the resolution read.

Arnaiz went missing on the night of August 17. His body was found 11 days later at a funeral home in Caloocan City. The 19-year-old former University of the Philippines student reportedly robbed a taxi driver and fired back at responding policemen, prompting the authorities to shoot him.

Almost a month later, De Guzman's parents were informed that their son’s body was found floating in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija.

Their killings, along with Kian Delos Santos' slay also reportedly done by Caloocan cops, are believed to be carried under the government's war on drugs.