Three police officers suspended as witnesses claim unarmed 17-year-old boy was framed by officials.

Philippine police are under pressure to explain the killing of a 17-year-old high-school student, who has become the latest victim of President Rodrigo Duterte's ruthless war on drugs.

Kian Loyd Delos Santos died on Thursday night in the capital Manila amid allegations that he was framed by three police officers, who witnesses said forced the teenager to hold a gun, fire and run.

CCTV footage from the Manila suburb of Caloocan showed Delos Santos being carried by two men to a place where his body was later found, raising doubt about an official report that said he was shot because he fired at police officers first.

According to the police report, Delos Santos ran when he saw the officers approaching him. He then pulled out a gun and opened fire at the policemen, who shot back.

Witnesses told local media that the teenager was unarmed.

READ MORE: Duterte on 'bloodiest' drug raids: 'That's beautiful'

National police chief Ronald dela Rosa said that if the Grade 11 student did not pose a threat, the officers who shot him on Thursday night would be held accountable.

"I will not allow any police officer to just kill a 17-year-old boy for no reason at all," he told reporters. "Are they that heartless?"

Dela Rosa added: "Just think about it, he is just a kid. If that happened to your sibling? We will investigate it, I assure you."

Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said the three policemen involved had been relieved of their duties and an investigation would be launched.

Several senators, including known allies of Duterte, expressed outrage about Delos Santos' death and called an investigation on Friday into a spike in the killings of drug suspects in recent poice operations.

"The Philippine National Police, on its misguided war on drugs, is now terrorising our communities and collateral damage is unacceptable," said Representative Edgar Erice.

"Killing the poor and powerless is not the solution to the drug problem when tons of methamphetamine are smuggled in," Senator Francis Pangilinan said in a statement.

Police killed at least 27 people in Manila on the third night of a new push in Duterte's war on drugs and crime, taking the toll for one of the bloodiest weeks so far to 94, according to officals.

Earlier in the week, 67 people were gunned down and nearly 250 arrested in Manila and provinces adjoining the Philippines capital, in what police described as a "One-Time, Big-Time" push to curb drugs and street crime.

President Duterte hailed the recent killing of 32 drug suspects in a 24-hour police crackdown, the highest death toll in a single day in his administration's anti-drug war.

"That's beautiful. If we can only kill 32 every day, then maybe we can reduce what ails this country," Duterte said on Wednesday.

According to police statistics, more than 3,000 suspects have been killed in anti-drug operations since Duterte became president on June 30, 2016.</s></s>Netizens express outrage over the death of a Grade 11 student during a drug raid

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of the story said Kian was among 25 killed in Caloocan. The 25 killings happened in Manila, while Kian was among 13 reported dead in Caloocan. We apologize for the error.

MANILA, Philippines – Netizens expressed their outrage on Friday, August 18, over the death of Grade 11 student Kian Lloyd delos Santos, an alleged drug runner who was not on any drug list. Delos Santos was among those killed in the recent rise in police operation casualties.

CCTV footage of the 17-year-old, who did not seem to show any signs of fighting back against the police, made the rounds on social media. This is contrary to the authorities' claim that he had fired a gun at policemen, who in turn fired back in self-defense. (READ: Bishop slams killing of 17-year-old boy in drug war)

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa apologized on the same day to the families of drug suspects killed in police operations, but this did not deter netizens from voicing out using the hashtag #JusticeforKian.

The hashtag rose up the ranks of Twitter's top Philippine trends, along with the phrase "Kian delos Santos."</s>‘Who needs martial law if our police would behave this way?’ says Kalookan Bishop Pablo David, citing other alleged abuses by the police

MANILA, Philippines – Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David slammed the killing of Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year-old student shot by the police after he allegedly fought back during anti-drug operations in Caloocan City.

"This is one very specific case where an innocent individual, who happens to be just a boy, a grade 11 student, you snuff out the future of a child," David said in a phone interview with Rappler on Friday, August 18.

"That really crushes my heart as bishop. I cannot possibly keep quiet about this," said David, the incoming vice president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Police claimed that Delos Santos was a drug suspect who, upon seeing them during anti-drug operations, fired his gun toward the direction of the cops.

Police said they had to shoot Delos Santos back in self defense.

CCTV video and testimonies by witnesses, however, indicated otherwise.

CCTV footage showed policemen dragging Delos Santos, his head covered, to the place where he was eventually shot.

Witnesses interviewed by ABS-CBN also contradicted the police. One of them said it was the police that handed Delos Santos a gun, and ordered him to pull the trigger and run.

The witness also recounted how the police allegedly handed the gun to the 17-year-old.

"Sabi, 'Hawakan mo 'to.' Sabi po ni Kian, 'Ano pong gagawin ko dito?' 'Iputok mo. Tapos tumakbo ka.' Iyon daw po ang pagkakasabi. Tapos si Kian po, umiiyak na po siya," the witness said.

'Is this what the drug war is about?'

The Kalookan bishop said on Friday, "We do believe this is one very specific case of abuse."

David said he also pities the victim's father, who also spoke in an ABS-CBN interview.

"It crushes your heart just listening to this because it's like listening to so many others' frightened testimonies," he said.

David also cited other alleged abuses by the police.

He said that in Navotas, for example, he has received reports of abduction, which "were reported as legitimate police operations."

"But the ones who abducted them were in bonnets," David said in a mix of English and Filipino. "So my natural question is, you mean to say that the bonnet gang and the police are the same?"

"Who needs martial law if our police would behave this way?" said one of the bishops most outspoken against extrajudicial killings. (READ: Bishop slams vigilantes as 'termites,' 'new Judases')

"Are we forgetting that they have not suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, that you cannot just abduct people, you cannot just arrest people, you cannot just enter anybody’s house without a search warrant?"

"It seems there's no rule of law anymore. Is this what the drug war is about? Does it curtail all our civil liberties?" the bishop said.

The killing of Delos Santos comes after simultaneous anti-drug operations on Tuesday, August 15, killed 32 people in Bulacan. A day later, an overnight operation in Manila killed 25.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella on Friday defended the series of "one-time, big-time" drug raids in Bulacan and Metro Manila.

"This is not a reckless exercise of blood letting. There's a rhyme and a reason in the police operations," Abella said on Friday.

On the death of Delos Santos, Abella said, "That incident, happily, I think is isolated." – Rappler.com</s>Teen who wanted to be cop killed in anti-drugs operation

By JEL SANTOS, with a report from Kate Louise Javier & Francis T. Wakefield

An overseas Filipino worker (OFWs) is seeking justice for her 17-year-old son who was killed by policemen on allegations that he resisted arrest during an anti-drugs operation in Caloocan City Wednesday night.

“Gusto namin ng hustiya! cried Lorenza delos Santos, 43, who came home from Saudi Arabia early yesterday morning to attend the funeral of her slain son, Kian Loyd delos Santos, Grade 11 student whose dream was to become a cop.



Caloocan Police claimed that he was a drug runner, but Barangay 160 officials said the student was not included in their drug watchlist.

Lorenza, a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia, said that she kneeled before her employer and begged to just allow her to go home to the Philippines.

“Humagulgol po ako nang malakas matapos ibalita sa akin na patay na si Kian. Lumuhod talaga ako at nagmakaawa po ako sa amo ko para makauwi lang,” she said in between sobs.

“Nagkakatulong po ako sa ibang bansa dahil nag-aaral at may pangarap ang mga anak ko. Tapos, ito lang gagawin ng mga pulis sa isa kong anak,” she added.

The mother of Kian said that her son wanted to become a cop someday. His dream, she said, kept him in school.

KIAN’S PLEA

 A 13-year-old witness, in a recorded interview, claimed she saw Kian being punched and slapped by four policemen. She said they were not wearing uniforms but all armed with guns.

“Nakita ko po na sinampal at sinuntok nila si Kian nung wala silang makuha nung kinapkapan siya. Wala silang nakuha kaya nagalit sila,” the witness said.

The witness said Kian pleaded for his life. “Tama na po! Tama na po! May test pa ako bukas!”

She said that the policemen grabbed and pulled him. Such was confirmed by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of Barangay 160.

Seen on the footage was a man, who was identified by witnesses as Kian, being manhandled by policemen as they passed by a basketball court. The men playing at the court said that it was Kian.

Meanwhile, the spot report released by Caloocan Police, stated that Kian resisted arrest by pulling out a gun and firing at policemen.

The witness said she later followed Kian to the place where he was brought, and there she heard one of the policemen telling Kian to fire the gun. He was brought near the dead end of a lot where there’s no light, she said.

Kian, she said, did not follow the cops. He instead ran away.

APPEAL TO DUTERTE

 “Pangulong Duterte, sana naman ay siguraduhin ng mga pulis na hindi inosente ang pinapatay nila,” the mother said.

 Lorenza said that she is calling the attention of President Duterte on the unjustifiable killing of her son, adding her son was “killed like a pig.”

She said their family was supporting his war against drugs, but because of what happened to her son, her eyes were opened that even innocent lives are at risk.

BATO ORDERS PROBE

 Philippine Natonal Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has ordered a probe into the killing of Kian.

In an interview during the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) celebration of the 116th Police Service Anniversary at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, Dela Rosa assured that he will leave no stone unturned to determine if Caloocan City policemen indeed summarily executed the victim.

“Anong klaseng pulis ka? Pulis kaba? Pinapatay mo iyung bata? How old, 17? Ganon ka na ba kawalang puso, what if ganon ang gagawin? Kung ikaw pulis ka gaganunin kapatid mo kaya ma-take iyun na babarilin ng walang ka rason rason?,”

 he added.

Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Chitlo Bersaluna, Caloocan Police chief, said the Delos Santos family should appeal in court if they feel that there was injustice in the killing of Kian.

“Meron po tayong husgado. May karapatan po ang mga feeling na-agrabyado,” Bersaluna said in a radio interview.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Oscar Albayalde announced in a radio interview yesterday that four cops, including the Police Community Precinct (PCP-7) commander, were immediately relieved for the death of Kian.

Yesterday, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) went to the area to investigate the case.

Also, Commission on Human Rights arrived in the area and probed what happened to Kian.

Napolcom and CHR took a copy of the CCTV footage and interviewed witnesses.
Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year old Grade 11 student, was shot dead by police after trying to escape an antidrug operation in Caloocan.