President Duterte Meets Kian’s Parents, Vows Them Of Justice
President Rodrigo Duterte assured Monday, August 28, the
parents of Kian Loyd Delos Santos that a fair probe would be undertaken of the
anti-drug operation conducted by police in Caloocan City that led to the death
of their son.
The President met Zaldy and Lorenza Delos Santos, parent of
the 17-year-old victim, at the Malacañang’s Malago Clubhouse.
In a statement, Malacañang said the teenager’s parents paid
a visit on President Duterte to personally thank him for assuring them that
justice would be served over the death of their son.
“During their meeting the President reassured that there
will be no interference in the case, citing that only due process will prevail
and that only due process will prevail and that the handling of the case will
be fair,” the statement read.
The Grade 11 student was slain during an anti-drug operation
carried out by police officers on August 16 in Barangay 160, Caloocan City.
The victim was buried on August 26 at the La Loma Catholic
Cemetery amid calls for justice over his death.
Police officers claimed Delos Santos, an alleged drug courier,
resisted arrest but witnesses and CCTV footage showed otherwise.
The Delos Santos couple last week filed complaints of murder
and torture at the Department of Justice (DOJ) against policemen linked to the
killing.
In a video uploaded by Communications Assistant Secretary
Margaux Uson on Facebook, Lorenza said they were optimistic that the President
would live up to his promise to impose appropriate sanctions against the police
officers who killed their son.
“He promised that he would help us resolve the case as soon
as possible because he would not tolerate anyone who commits crime and that person
must be punished,” Lorenza said in Filipino.
“Since we know that Duterte is our President, we don’t have
any doubts and we trust wholeheartedly that he can help us resolve the case of
our son,” she added.
Zaldy, for his part, said they now feel more secure after
meeting President Duterte.
“We now feel secure. We don’t fear for our lives anymore.
That’s it. We’re grateful,” he said.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Public Attorney’s
Office chief Persida Acosta, and Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption
founding chair Dante Jimenez joined President Duterte’s meeting with the Delos
Santos couple.
Meanwhile, the DOJ on Tuesday placed
the parents of Kian, under provisional coverage of its Witness Protection
Program (WPP).
Aguirre said Saldy and Lorenza voluntarily went to the DOJ
Tuesday afternoon to seek protection.
“They voluntarily went to us at the DOJ today to apply for
admission to the WPP. And we immediately accommodated them,” Aguirre said.
“This just shows, that contrary to the unfounded allegations
of bias hurled against me by some ill-motivated or ill-informed sectors, the
parents of Kian Delos Santos have full faith and confidence with me and the DOJ
in the handling of their son’s case,” he added.
Various groups have urged Aguirre to inhibit from the
investigation of the murder and torture complaints against the Caloocan cops
lodged before the DOJ due to his perceived bias against the victim.
He, however, said that he will not inhibit as he is not the
one to decide the complaints in the first place but the prosecutors in the DOJ.
Source: SunStar PH
President Duterte Meets Kian’s Parents, Vows Them Of Justice
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August 31, 2017
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