Lorenza delos Santos has not seen her family, including her 17-year-old son in three years. Tirelessly working as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia, Lorenza dreamed of a better future for her family. Little did she know that she’ll be coming home to see the lifeless body of his son, another casualty in the country’s war against illegal drugs.
Kian delos Santos was among the 12 killed in a Caloocan City Police “one-time, big-time” operation Wednesday night, August 16. The Grade 12 student was gunned down by the police after he reportedly fired at the policemen with his .45 pistol.
However, witness accounts and a CCTV footage show that there might be more to the story than meets the eye. The CCTV footage obtained from barangay officials show Kian being dragged by two men in civilian clothes moments before the shootout.
Several eyewitnesses told local reporters that police gave Kian a gun and instructed him to shoot two times and run.
The delos Santos family has sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate this case of alleged extrajudicial killing.
“Pag nakikita ko ‘yung sugat ng anak ko dito, dito ‘yung bala ng baril e. Sabi ko bakit niyo naman ginanon, kasi ‘di ko matanggap eh,” GMA News quoted Lorenza as saying.
Members of the Senate majority bloc signed a resolution on Sunday, condemning the killing of the high school student and directing an inquiry to determine who is accountable for the death of the teenager.
The Caloocan anti-drug operation coincided with the Bulacan raid where police officers arrested 109 and killed 32 alleged drug personalities, the highest death toll in a single day in the recent months of the Philippine drug war.
The incident sparked an outcry from the public, demanding justice for Kian’s death.
“”Lorenza has captured the hearts of OFWs and their families all over the world. We feel her sorrow because it is also ours. We mourn as she mourns. We rage as she rages. Lorenza’s family has become every OFW’s family, and Kian every OFW’s son,” Migrante International said in a statement.
Credit: GMA News
Photo credit: Celeste Legaspi-Gallardo reposted by iamnoelferrer, Instagram
