By Azer Parrocha/PNA
MANILA — The guilty verdict against the three police personnel involved in the killing of student Kian delos Santos should serve as a warning that scalawag police officers will not be tolerated, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Thursday.
“We in the DILG would like this conviction to serve as a warning to the Philippine National Police (PNP) to be always worthy of their badges and always uphold the law as they perform their duties. Law enforcers are expected to serve and protect the people,” Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya said in a Palace briefing on federalism.
Malaya made the remark after Caloocan RTC Branch 125 sentenced the three cops to reclusion perpetua for the killing of delos Santos during an anti-illegal drugs operation in August last year.
“Scalawag police officers will never be tolerated by the DILG. As persons who are duty-bound to keep the peace, they are expected to strictly adhere to the rule of law and respect human rights in the performance of their duties,” he added.
Malaya also said the verdict imposed by the court on the three cops proves that justice in the Philippines “does not distinguish whether one is in a position of authority or not.”
He said the conviction also showed that the “government is on the side of the oppressed and does not condone nor tolerate any wrongdoing by persons who are tasked to enforce the law.”
The DILG official, meanwhile, assured the public that they will continue to intensify their internal cleansing efforts to rid the police of misfits and scalawags.
Malacañang earlier said there is no intention to grant pardon to the convicted cops.
“You must remember that this is murder. There is intention to kill. The President will never tolerate that,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
“What he said was, ‘If you do it in accordance with your job, in the performance of your duty, then I will help you – not when you violate the law.’ That is what he said,” he added.
Caloocan RTC Branch 125 Presiding Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr. found Police Officer 3 (PO3) Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda, and PO1 Jerwin Cruz guilty of delos Santos’ murder and sentenced them to reclusion perpetua.
The three policemen were also directed to pay the heirs of the victim PHP100,000 in civil indemnity; PHP100,000 in moral damages; PHP45,000 in actual damages; and PHP100,000 as exemplary damages.
