NPD chief relieved from post while probe on Kian's death is ongoing

Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Roberto Fajardo was relieved on Tuesday, a day after claiming that slain 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos had been peddling 10 grams of shabu daily based on intelligence information.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he had ordered the administrative relief of Fajardo for command responsibility over Delos Santos' death during an alleged drug operation in Caloocan City.

“Effective today, administratively relieved yung director ng NPD.  Ngayon ko lang pinapa-issue ‘yung order,” Dela Rosa said in a radio interview.

He said he made the decision to give way to a swift and impartial investigation.

“Administratively relieved while the investigation is going on para to give way to an impartial investigation, para matapos ang investigation kaagad dahil sa nangyari kasama na ang command responsibility,” he said.

He said Fajardo would be transferred to the Administrative Holding Unit of the PNP at Camp Crame for the time being.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde said Fajardo will be replaced by Chief Superintendent Amando Clifton Empiso, who was NCRPO’s Deputy Regional Director for Operations.

On Monday, Fajardo said Delos Santos was initially not the subject of any anti-illegal drug operation because he was a newly identified drug suspect. The NPD chief added that it was a certain Neneng who had hired Kian to deal drugs.

Already under restrictive custody are the three police officers who were last seen with Delos Santos: Police Officer 4 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda, and PO1 Jerwin Cruz.

Chief Inspector Amor Cerilo, the precinct commander, has also already been relieved from his post.

Caloocan City police chief Senior Superintendent Chito Bersaluna, on the other hand, has been placed under administrative relief to “preclude the possibility of his influence over the investigation of the incident.”

Delos Santos, who police claimed was a newly-identified drug suspect in their area, was killed on the night of August 16 when he allegedly attempted to evade arrest as they approached him. Police gave chase but had to return fire when the boy allegedly drew a gun and fired at them.

Reportedly recovered from De los Santos were a cal.-45 pistol and two sachets of suspected shabu with a street value of about P20,000. His relatives, however, denied that Kian was involved in the illegal drug trade, saying the items did not belong to the teenager. Witnesses have also claimed that the cops' version of events was contrived.

CCTV footage also showed that the police officers appeared to be restraining Delos Santos as they walked him toward the place where he was killed, contrary to police claims that he resisted arrest and ran off. — MDM/JST/KVD/BM, GMA News