(Eagle News) — The two Caloocan policemen and the taxi driver tagged in the killings of Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” De Guzman on Thursday asked the Department of Justice to dismiss the complaints against them.
In their counter-affidavit submitted to the DOJ, PO1 Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Erlita reiterated that Arnaiz, who they said fired at them prompting them to retaliate, was killed in a legitimate police operation on Aug. 18.
“Now, how could they charge us for murder and planting of evidence under Republic Act 10591 and Republic Act 9165..,” they said, noting that what they did was “pursuant to the mission and vision of the Philippine National Police.”
As for taxi driver, Tomas Bagcal, his camp insisted that he only narrated what he saw at that time.
Bagcal, Erlita and Perez face double murder complaints before the DOJ.
These were apart from the charges of torture, for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition filed against them.
Arnaiz and De Guzman went missing after they bought midnight snacks on Aug. 18.
Arnaiz turned up in a morgue on Aug. 28, with a boy authorities initially said was De Guzman turning up in Nueva Ecija days later.
The Public Attorneys Office said Arnaiz appeared to have been tortured before he died as he bore handcuff marks and a bruised eye.
The police later said the body found in Nueva Ecija could not have been De Guzman’s as a DNA test showed the dead body could not have been the biological son of De Guzman’s parents.
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