Caloocan cop: Person seen on CCTV our ‘asset,’ not Kian

One of the Caloocan cops placed under preventive suspension admitted on Thursday that he was among the policemen shown on the CCTV footage, but claimed it was not Kian Loyd Delos Santos they were holding but their “asset.”

“Kami yung dalawang nasa CCTV. Yung sinasabi [na] Kian, hindi si Kian yun. Yun yung aming asset,” Police Officer 1 Jerwin Cruz told the Senate public order committee conducting an investigation on Kian’s death.

Cruz was referring to another cop, Police Office 1 Jeremias Pereda.

The two were involved in the anti-drugs operations conducted in Caloocan that led to the killing of 17-year-old Delos Santos. The other police officer, Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares, refused to answer questions at the hearing.

Based on the ballistic exam, the firearm assigned to Oares matched the bullets found on Delos Santos’ body.

Asked why it seemed that they were dragging their supposed asset on the CCTV video, Cruz said: “Kasi yung asset, ayaw niyang masunog. Ayaw niyang makilala na may kasamang pulis na ituturo.”

“Pino-protektahan niya yung sarili niya at yun ang sinabi niya sa amin, na i-cover namin para di makilala dahil may kasama siyang police,” Cruz explained.

Cruz said they did not know Kian prior to his death.

On Tuesday, Internal Affairs Service Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said that two of the three police officers involved in the incident have admitted to investigators that it was Kian who was being dragged as shown on the CCTV footage.

“Inamin ng dalawang pulis na sila nga daw ang nag-akbay kay Kian at si Kian ang nasa video at taliwas sa kanilang unang sinasabi na ‘yun ay informant,” Triambulo told reporters.

Police witness Renato Loberas, a drug suspect presented by police, earlier claimed  Kian was not the victim police was dragging away as seen on closed-circuit television footage.

‘Shoot-out’

Cops claimed Delos Santos fired at authorities as he was trying to escape during an Oplan Galugad operation in Barangay 160.

Reportedly recovered from Delos Santos were a .45 pistol and two sachets of suspected shabu with a street value of about P20,000.

His relatives, however, said the items did not belong to the teenager and witnesses claimed the police's version of the events was not true.

One of the witnesses said Delos Santos, a Grade 12 student, begged for his life before being shot to death.

A CCTV camera footage showed the policemen dragging Delos Santos to the place where he was killed, contrary to police claims that he resisted arrest and took off. — RSJ, GMA News