MANILA — The three-man panel of the Department of Justice (DOJ) has allowed the two Caloocan policemen who were implicated in the killings of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman last August to present their two witnesses in its ongoing preliminary investigation.
During the hearing’s continuation on Tuesday, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Maria Emilia Victorio, who heads the panel of prosecutors handling the case, gave Atty. Dodjie Ensana, lawyers of Police Officers 1 Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Arquilita, until Friday without any extension to either file the original sworn statement of their witnesses or present the two witnesses identified as Solomon Rosca and Madelene Soliman.
“We give you only until Friday to either submit the original of this affidavit or if you cannot submit the original then you have to bring on Friday Solomon Rosca and Madelene Soliman to this office to reaffirm their sinumpaang salaysay before the panel. Without any extension, that’s only on Friday. That is just only to give you the right to fully ventilate your defense,” Victorio told the respondents’ camp.
Encinas said his clients received the photocopy of the testimonies of the witnesses only last Nov. 4 through courier service and that they could not locate them at once since their movements are hindered having been put on hold at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City where they are under temporary custody.
“We are thankful to the panel for granting our request since the two witnesses could give a clearer account of what really happened. If it was not granted, our defense is still strong since they don’t have credible witnesses,” Encinas told reporters after the hearing.
For her part, PAO Chief Persida Rueda Acosta objected saying that the preliminary had been going on for two months already and that justice is already being denied to the two teenagers.
“We can sense an unending preliminary investigation on this case. There’s already a commitment last time for both parties of the panel this will be the last for the counter manifestation. And here comes they are producing witnesses (who) have been presented at the filing of the counter affidavit. Witnesses may come during the entire proceedings, that’s allowed, but in the preliminary investigation, it should not last long. Because you are just inviting bogus witnesses, planted witnesses, who just want to ride on the case. So it would entail an injustice to the victims,” Acosta explained.
Tuesday’s hearing is supposed to be the final one before submitting the case for resolution.
Perez and Arquilita were facing charges for double murder, torture and planting of evidence under Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and R.A. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) filed against them by the parents of Carl Angelo and Kulot.
Aside from the two cops, taxi driver Tomas Bagcal is also included as respondent.
Arnaiz, 19, and De Guzman, 14, who were neighbors in Cainta went missing on August 18.
Caloocan City police claimed Arnaiz died during a shootout last August 18 when he resisted arrest and fired his handgun at chasing cops following the taxi robbery committed against Bagcal.
Arnaiz’s body was found at Ezekiel Funeral Homes weeks after he disappeared.
De Guzman’s body was fished out of a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija on September 5. It bore at least 28 stab wounds with his head wrapped in packing tape and a shirt.
The complaint filed against Perez and Arquilita last Sept. 16 cited testimonies of witnesses – including an eyewitness who saw Carl Angelo’s killing – and forensic results as evidence.
Forensic exam on Carl Angelo’s cadaver revealed that he was already kneeling when he was shot several times on the chest, suggesting “intentional killing” on the part of the police.
It also suggested that he was tortured before he was killed as his wrists were swollen with handcuff marks and his eyes bruised.
The autopsy on Kulot, on the other hand, showed a similar manner of killing. It was found out that the 14-year-old companion of Carl Angelo sustained about 28 stab wounds and was repeatedly stabbed even when he was already dead.
His body was found last Sept. 5 floating in a creek in Nueva Ecija with his head wrapped in packing tape.
The complaint also cited as basis the testimony of the eyewitness identified as alias “Daniel” who pointed to the probers the site where Carl Angelo was killed by police in C-3 Road in Caloocan. (PNA)
