(Eagle News) — The 17-year-old who was killed in a drug operation in Caloocan last week was a drug courier for his father and uncles.
This was what Philippine National Police Director Roland Dela Rosa revealed in a radio interview, amid criticisms over how the police handled Wednesday’s police operation that led to the death of Kian Loyd Delos Santos.
According to the PNP chief, Zaldy, Delos Santos’ father, is also known as a “siga” in his neighborhood, based on intelligence information.
As such, he said residents in the area are afraid to speak out against him and his family.
“Dismayed ako sa outcome ng operation, bakit napatay ang bata, pero hindi ako dismayed sa operation itself dahil meron naman talagang basehan ang operation na itinuturo talaga si Kian ay source ng droga doon sa area,” he said.
He said the PNP-Internal Affairs Service was already conducting an investigation into the “isolated” incident, that has also seen the relief of the three policemen involved in the operation and their superior.
“Biktima lang ang bata at ginagamit ng ama. Bigyan siya ng pagkakataon na magbagong-buhay at matuto na mali ang ginagawa niya. Sumusunod siya sa utos ng kanyang pusher na ama. Bata pa, magbago pa yan,” he said.
The 17-year-old was killed in a one-time bigtime operation held by the Caloocan police community precinct 7.
The police had said the boy had fired at them as they were about to approach him.
But Zaldy disputed the police’s accounts, making reference to footage from the barangay’s closed-circuit television camera that supposedly showed his son being “carried” by policemen.
“How could he have fired at them if he was being carried,” Zaldy had said.
