3 policemen guilty of killing Kian delos Santos — court

PO1 Jerwin Cruz, PO3 Arnel Oares and PO1 Jeremias Pereda, who were accused of killing Kian delos Santos, show up at the Department of Justice for the preliminary investigation of the case on Sept. 14, 2017. The Caloocan City Regional Trial Court is expected to announce its decision on Thursday.

PO1 Jerwin Cruz, PO3 Arnel Oares and PO1 Jeremias Pereda, who were accused of killing Kian delos Santos, show up at the Department of Justice for the preliminary investigation of the case on Sept. 14, 2017. The Caloocan City Regional Trial Court is expected to announce its decision on Thursday.

Police officers involved in the death of Kian delos Santos were found guilty of murder by the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 125 on Thursday.

PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremias Pereda and PO1 Jerwin Cruz were convicted of killing Delos Santos in August 2017.

They will each sentenced to reclusion perpetua without eligibility of parole.

The Supreme Court has defined reclusion perpetua as “imprisonment for at least thirty years after which the convict becomes eligible for pardon.”

The three officers were acquitted of planting evidence on Delos Santos.

Delos Santos, believed to be part of the illegal drug trade, was apparently the target of a police operation in Caloocan.

Police claimed that Delos Santos opened fire when he was apprehended, but closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage showed lawmen dragging the victim before he was found shot to death.

The death of Delos Santos drew widespread condemnation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, which has claimed over 5,000 lives since he took office in 2016, according to government data.

Opposition groups place the number at around 11,000 to 30,000. Duterte is currently facing complaints before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.