President Rodrigo Duterte promised to bring justice for the Dubai-based overseas Filipino worker’s slain son Carl Angelo Arnaiz by assuring that no abusive cops would be tolerated.
Duterte assured 19-year-old Arnaiz’s parents after he met them in Malacanang on September 6.
“Ang sinabi ko naman talaga, we will protect the soldiers and policemen, no doubt. But always, there has to be the element of performance of duty, and you don’t kill defenseless persons,” he said in a speech at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Social Security System in Quezon City.
“I’m sorry but I will pursue the cases against the police and, if need be, they should go to jail. Wala ako inutos na patayin mo ang bata and even the enemy on bended knees,” he added.
The president also clarified despite encouraging police to have a strong take on war against drugs, it doesn’t necessarily mean killing innocent civilians has become government policy.
Duterte ordered Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to “take over” Arnaiz’s case.
The administration faced public outrage over the killings of Arnaiz, Kian Loyd Delos Santos, and recently, Reynaldo de Guzman on separate incidents.
Arnaiz was killed in a shootout after he allegedly robbed a taxi driver along C-3 road in Caloocan City on August 17 while Delos Santos was shot dead after allegedly fighting cops during a drug raid on August 16.
Recently, De Guzman, Arnaiz’s 14-year-old companion, was found dead in Nueva Ecija on September 6 with 30 stab wounds.
Public Attorney’s Office said in their latest investigation that Arnaiz and Delos Santos were tortured and shot while they are on the ground.
Earlier, Duterte met with Delos Santos’ parents and vowed justice and fast action in resolving their son’s case. (Source: ABS-CBN News/ Photo credit: Department of Justice)
Carl Arnaiz’ 14-year-old companion found dead in Nueva Ecija
The 14-year-old companion of overseas Filipino worker’s slain son Carl Angelo Arnaiz, who went missing since August 17, was found dead in Gapan, Nueva Ecija on September 6.
In a tweet by GMA News reporter Saleema Refran, Reynaldo De Guzman, who was known to his friends and family as Kulot, received 30 stab wounds on his body.
He was last seen with Arnaiz on the night the latter was killed in Caloocan by policemen for allegedly robbing a taxi along C-3 Road in Caloocan City.
Bangkay ni Reynaldo de Guzman, natagpuan sa isang punerarya sa Gapan, ayon sa ama nito. | via @Jasmin_Romero pic.twitter.com/IUOwrPOC1c
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) September 6, 2017
One of his friends said De Guzman came to the the store as they were about to go home and joined Arnaiz because he doesn’t want to go home yet.
De Guzman’s mother Linda Gabriel has been going around police stations, social welfare department officers, and funeral parlors in Cainta, Antipolo, and Caloocan City in search for her son.
De Guzman was a Grade 5 student in Maybunga Elementary School in Pasig City. (Photo credit: DZMM)
14-year-old kid last seen with Arnaiz before police shootout still missing
A 14-year-old boy who was last seen with Carl Angelo Arnaiz is still missing 20 days after the overseas Filipino worker’s slain son was killed by policemen in a shootout.
Reynaldo De Guzman’s mother Linda Gabriel said her son left their home in Cainta, Rizal on August 17 to have midnight snacks with Arnaiz and other neighbors.
Linda Gabriel said she’s still hopeful that her son, who she calls “Kulot”, is still alive but hidden against his will.
“Iyun po ang kutob ko. Buhay pa ang bata kaya lang iniipit. Hindi po naaalis ang pangamba ko sa anak ko. Sana po umuwi po nang buhay,” ABS-CBN News quoted her as saying.
“Kung saan ka man andoon, kung sino mang tao ang may hawak sa iyo, huwag kang biglang uuwi. Hayaan mo na humayo kayo ng mga media para makauwi ka nang buhay rito,” she added.
Linda has been going around police stations, social welfare department officers, and funeral parlors in Cainta, Antipolo, and Caloocan in search for her son. She has plans to go to Navotas City to check if Reynaldo is there.
Despite being last seen together, Linda claimed that Arnaiz is not a close friend of Reynaldo as she only knows him barely.
Reynaldo is a Grade 5 student in an elementary school in Maybunga, Pasig City. He works as a “helper” after school hours like delivering water containers and carrying sacks of cement in the neighborhood.
His companion, Arnaiz, was shot by policemen as he allegedly robbed a taxi driver along C-3 Road in Caloocan City, which is 22 kilometers away from Cainta.
His body was found 10 days later at a morgue in Caloocan City. (Source: ABS-CBN, DZMM, Rappler)
Inconsistencies on statements of cab driver ‘robbed’ by son of Dubai-based OFW
Taxi driver Tomas Bagcal gave two different affidavits to the police when he narrated how he was robbed in the early morning of August 18 by 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz, son of Dubai-based overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Eva Arnaiz.
Based on the statement he gave to Caloocan Police immediately after the robbery took place, Bagcal said his passenger, Arnaiz declared a holdup when they reached the barangay hall of Barangay 28 in Caloocan City.
“Paglapag namin ng barangay hall ng Barangay 28 nilabas niya yung baril niya at nagdeklara ng holdup at hiningi ang wallet ko,” he said in his first affidavit.
But in his second affidavit, given on August 29, a day after Eva Arnaiz and her family identified their son at a funeral parlor, the taxi driver said Arnaiz declared a holdup along C-3 road or 5th Avenue.
“Pagdating namin ng C-3 ay nilabas niya yung baril niya at nagdeklara ng holdup at hiningi ang wallet ko,” the taxi driver said in his recent statement.
When asked to describe the suspect, Bagcal said he couldn’t remember how the robber looked like but ten days later, in his second affidavit, the taxi driver gave a specific description of his hijacker, saying the suspect was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, blue denim short pants, black cap, slippers, and was carrying a bag, Inquirer reported.
The suspect’s description matched Arnaiz’ description according to police reports, including the backpack allegedly containing three plastic sachets of “shabu”, two packets of marijuana leaves, and Bagcal’s stolen wallet.
Bagcal added that Arnaiz ran away after taking his wallet and hitting his arm with a .38 caliber pistol. He we able to ask for help from patrolling policemen which led to a chase and a shootout, after Arnaiz allegedly fired at the police.
In both affidavits, he said he was 150 meters away when the shootout took place.
“Pinutukan daw sila…Pinutukan sila…Siyempre, anong reaksyon ng mga pulis natin? Nakipag-barilan na rin,” Bagcal narrated in an interview with Philippine Star.
Arnaiz tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, according to the paraffin test conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory on September 5.
But according to the autopsy conducted by forensic experts from the Public Attorney’s Office, Arnaiz was possibly kneeling when he was shot three times in the chest and two more shots when he was lying down.
Handcuff marks were also found on the wrist of the former University of the Philippines student, suggesting he was already cuffed by the police when he allegedly fired first at the policemen.
Son of Dubai-based OFW tested positive for gunpowder—PNP
Carl Angelo Arnaiz, the slain son of a Dubai-based OFW, tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, according to the paraffin test conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory on September 5.
A PNP Crime Lab representative said during a Senate probe that they were able to conduct paraffin tests on the 19-year-old Arnaiz to further confirm is he had a shootout with the cops.
In a spot report, National Capital Region Police Officer Director Oscar Albayalde said Arnaiz hailed a cab in Navotas City at around 3:30 A.M in August 18.
Arnaiz posed as a passenger and asked the taxi driver to drive him to 5th Avenue in Caloocan City and when they reached C3, Road 3 in Barangay 28, he declared a hold-up, according to Albayalde’s report.
“Suspect drew his gun and declared a heist and intent to gain, took the wallet of the victim, and hit the latter using his gun, causing injury then alighted,”
Albayalde added the taxi driver reported the robbery to the police. The responding police, authorities, Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Perez and Police Officer 1 Ricky Arquilita of Caloocan, came and tried to arrest Arnaiz but the teen allegedly tried to shoot which caused them to fire back.
Arnaiz was then declared missing and was only found 10 days after a funeral parlor in Caloocan saw that his friends are family are looking for him.
Public Attorney’s Office reported that Arnaiz was tortured after their forensic experts conducted an autopsy on his body and found 5 gunshot wounds — three to the mid chest area, one on the left side, and one on his upper back.
There were also handcuff marks found on Arnaiz’s wrist an deep scratches, which could possibly mean that he was dragged
His body was laid to rest September 5.
Caloocan cops who killed son of Dubai-based OFW removed from post
The policemen involved in the killing of the son of a Dubai-based overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Caloocan City were removed from their post on September 3.
Based on a report in Unang Balita on September 4, Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Perez and Police Officer 1 Ricky Aquilita were relieved of their duties and transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa.
Based on their narrative, they exchanged shots with 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz past 3:30 A.M. on August 18.
In their sworn affidavit, Arnaiz held up a taxi driver on C3 Road and took his wallet, hit him with a gun then fled the scene. The policemen saw Arnaiz walking and when they tried to talk to him, he opened fire against them that resulted into an exchange of bullets.
Tomas Bagcal, the taxi driver, positively confirmed that it was Arnaiz who held him up earlier.
The policemen also reported that marijuana and shabu were found on Arnaiz, leading to speculations that these are his way of coping with his depression.
However, the Public Attorney’s Office examinations showed that Arnaiz died from getting tortured, with his arms bearing handcuff marks and his eyes swollen. They also said that he was kneeling when he was shot several times on the chest.
His body was only found 10 days after he was declared missing in Ezekiel Funeral Home. The funeral parlor saw a Facebook post about him and contacted the family to confirm if it is Arnaiz’s body.
Arnaiz’ mother, Eva Magat, who works in Dubai for five years, came back to the country to search for his son when he was still missing. (Source: GMA News/ Photo credit: Carl Angelo Arnaiz/Facebook)
