(Eagle News) — The Department of Justice on Monday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the death of a 19-year-old former University of the Philippines student who was killed in what Caloocan police said was a shootout that ensued after the teenager–who had supposedly robbed a taxi— fired at them.
Aguirre gave the order after the Public Attorneys’ Office released its results on its forensic analysis of Carl Angelo Arnaiz.
Arnaiz’s parents themselves had sought PAO’s help after Cruz’s death on Aug. 18.
Based on PAO’s analysis, Arnaiz had swollen wrists with handcuff marks, and bruised eyes, which indicated the 19-year-old had been tortured before he was killed.
Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Perez and Police Officer 1 Ricky Arquilita, however, said in their report that Arnaiz, who was with a certain “Kulot,” fired at them as they tried to arrest them for robbing taxi driver Tomas Bagcal on C3 Road at 3:20 a.m.
The police officers said they learnt about the incident as Bagcal chanced upon them while they were patrolling, and informed them about it.
According to Perez and Arquilita, marijuana and shabu were found on Arnaiz.
Also recovered, they said, were the P450 Arnaiz forcibly stole from Bagcal.
“Not a criminal”
But Arnaiz’s parents denied their son was a criminal, noting that he did not even know how to hold a gun.
They said the only vice of Arnaiz–who graduated valedictorian in elementary, and finished high school in Makati before entering the University of the Philippines—was smoking.
Arnaiz later dropped out of the state university due to depression.
The NBI probe is apart from the probe being held by the Philippine National Police.
PAO is set to file murder charges against Perez and Arquilita, who have since been relieved.
Arnaiz went missing after he left his home in Cainta, Rizal on August 17 to buy midnight snacks.
His body was found in a morgue in Caloocan 10 days after.