DOJ seeks to revive rap vs Kian slay informant

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Justice prosecutors have sought the revival of the murder case against a police informant who tagged  Kian delos Santos as a drug runner before the teen was killed by policemen in an anti-illegal drug sweep. 

The prosecution filed an ex-parte motion to reinstate the case in the active docket of the court, after the murder and planting of evidence charges filed against asset Renato “Nonong” Loveraz were archived since he was at large while the policemen were on trial. 

The prosecutors made the move after The STAR reported that Loveraz, initially thought to have gone missing, was already detained at the Caloocan city jail for a drug case filed against him by the police officers who killed 17-year-old Kian.

Loveraz allegedly pointed at Kian for involvement in drugs in an apparent “palit-ulo” scheme, but Kian’s family has denied this.

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The prosecutor notified the court that Loveraz had been in detention since Sept. 13, 2017  for a separate case pending before the Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 123, based on a certificate of detention signed by Caloocan city jail records chief Senior Jail Officer IV Chona Apuac-Seno.

One of the policemen convicted of Kian’s murder, Police Officer 1 Jerwin Cruz, arrested Loveraz and his three co-accused Bernard Rivera, Cindy Cleofas and Daniel Oreta a day after killing Kian in an apparent move to keep Loveraz’s whereabouts from the judge trying Kian’s murder.

Cruz was listed as a prosecution witness against his own informant.

“It is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court that the alias warrant of arrest issued … against accused Renato Loveraz… be served upon him at the Caloocan city jail,” the DOJ motion dated Jan. 15 read.

No merit

In a separate motion, the prosecutors opposed the police officers’ appeal to reverse their conviction, calling their arguments rehash and bereft of merit.

The prosecutors said their witnesses identified Cruz, Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officer 1 Jeremias Pereda as the ones who fired the shots that killed Kian along the bank of the Tullahan river on Aug. 16, 2017.

As to the alleged “inconsistencies” in the three eyewitnesses’ testimonies, the prosecutors said in the Jan. 15 motion that these only prove that the witnesses were not coached, and that the inconsistencies were “badges of truthfulness and candidness.”

Two of the eyewitnesses, one a minor, even said they saw the policemen drag Kian to a dead end where they killed him.

The prosecution denied the policemen’s allegation the witnesses could not have seen the crime because it was dark in the area.

As to Pereda and Cruz’s claim it was only Oares who should be convicted because he admitted to firing the gun, the prosecutors said the two were still accountable as conspirators in the murder.

The lawmen were sentenced to a life term at the New Bilibid Prison by Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 125 Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr. on Nov. 29, 2018.

Cruz and Pereda also face a separate trial for violation of domicile before Caloocan Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 51. They pleaded not guilty on Jan. 9 to the charge that they entered the Delos Santos house without consent after Loveraz tagged Kian as a drug runner.

The police officers also allegedly pointed their guns at Kian’s siblings while they were conducting a warrantless search.