Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday assured the public that police officers involved in the death of a 17-year-old boy during an anti-drug operation would go to jail if found guilty of framing him.
The Justice Department has already ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to find out if the police were liable for the killing of Kian Loyd Delos Santos last week, Duterte said. “Should the investigation point to liabilities by (the police), there will be a prosecution and they have to go to jail if convicted,” he said in a televised press conference.
“I assure you that there will be no whitewash in the investigation,” he added. Hours earlier, hundreds of people braved heavy rains in Manila to join a protest rally to condemn the killing of Delos Santos, whose family and friends have denied he was involved in illegal drugs. Witnesses have told local media that police allegedly forced Delos Santos to hold a gun and told him to run before they shot him last week. According to the police report, the teenager ran when he saw the officers approaching him. He then pulled out a gun and opened fire at the policemen, who shot back, it said.
But a CCTV footage from the neighbourhood of Delos Santos’ house in the Manila suburb of Caloocan showed three police officers in civilian clothes dragging the boy to the area where he was later killed. The three police officers and their commander have been relieved of their duties for the investigation.
Duterte, who has repeatedly vowed to protect the police against any legal suits filed against them for doing their duties, said he was not inclined to pardon the police officers if found guilty in the case of Delos Santos’ killing.
“No, I saw the evidence, that’s why I called (the national police chief) and told him to arrest them and put them in jail,” Duterte said, when asked if he would pardon the police officers. “If it was really a rub out, they (police officers) have to answer for it.
They have to go to jail. I’m sorry,” he added. Duterte lashed out at corrupt and abusive police officers, saying, “You sons of %%$$$$% you are far worse than drugs because you are destroying the credibility of government.”
“When the government is not credible anymore, nobody will obey government and government will collapse,” he added. Delos Santos was among more than 80 people killed in anti-drug operations by the police last week. Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, which has left thousands dead in one year, has been severely criticised by rights groups and foreign governments.
President Rodrigo Duterte.
