PAO chief: Kian sustained 'treacherous wound,' family to sue cops for murder

Public Attorney's Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said Monday her office will assist the family of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos in filing murder complaints against the policemen who shot the teenager dead.

"Magpa-file po ng murder ang family," Acosta said in an interview during her visit to Delos Santos' wake in Barangay 160 in Caloocan City.

Acosta said that based on initial autopsy results, Kian sustained two gunshot wounds in the head and a "treacherous wound" in the back.

"Hindi ho kinukunsinti ng PAO kung may abuso," she announced.

Caloocan City policemen claimed that they just fired back at Delos Santos, who allegedly shot them with a .45 pistol while escaping.

A CCTV camera footage produced by the barangay, however, shows the policemen dragging the teenager away.

But the Caloocan City police insists that the person in the video is not Delos Santos.

The three policemen involved in the operation -- Police Officers 1 Jeremias Pereda and Jerwin Cruz and Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares -- have been relieved from their post by the National Capital Region Police Officer (NCRPO).

Their precinct commander, Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, and Caloocan City police chief Senior Superindent Chito Bersaluna, have likewise been relieved.

After inspecting the site where Delos Santos was killed after a chase and brief exchange of fire Wednesday night, Acosta's reaction was: "Dito? saan tatakbukan? nowhere to run!"

Tiningnan ni PAO Chief @persida_acosta ang pinangyarihan ng pagpatay kay Kian Loyd delos Santos. pic.twitter.com/kUuks0MsS8| via @allangatus

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 21, 2017

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay also visited Delos Santos' wake.

A Balitanghali report said that according to Binay, Delos Santos' wounds in the head only mean that his shooters really intended to kill him.

Binay also said that the government should prevent more killings in the war on drugs, the report added.

Members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also returned to the crime scene as part of their parallel investigation into the incident.

The NBI agents initially visited the crime scene on Saturday.

The agents also took statements from members of the Delos Santos family as well as residents in the area.

The bureau has yet to issue a statement regarding its initial findings.

The Philippine National Police's Internal Affairs Service is also conducting a separate investigation into the case.

So is the Senate as it looks into the sudden increase in the number of fatalities in recent police operations against drug suspects.

At least 90 drug suspects were killed by policemen in  so-called one time, big time operations in Bulacan and Metro Manila last week. —with reports from Allan Gatus and Rodil Vega/ALG/KVD, GMA News