By: Jeffrey G. Damicog
Two policemen accused in the killing of Carl Angelo Arnaiz yesterday asked the Department of Justice to dismiss the criminal complaints filed against them by Arnaiz’s parents Carlito and Eva, insisting that the 19-year-old University of the Philippines student was killed in a legitimate police operation.
“The incident which resulted to the death of Carl Angelo Arnaiz was a result of legitimate police operation and we cannot be faulted and no criminal complaint/charges could be filed against us,” PO1 Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Arquilita said in the joint counter-affidavit they filed yesterday.
The two policemen accused of committing murder and planting of evidence under Section 38 of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Act) and Section 29 of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) bolstered their statement by attaching the initial sworn affidavits of taxi driver Tomas Bagcal who claimed that he was robbed by Arnaiz in Caloocan City on Aug. 18, the same day he was killed.
“At around 3:30 a.m. on 18 August 2017 while we were conducting detective beat patrol along the stretch of C-3 Road, Caloocan City, we were approached by a certain Tomas Marleo Bacgal. He reported to us that he was held up (robbed) by his passenger, he was asking for the nearest police station, he described the appearance of person who robbed him and what he was wearing then,” they recounted.
The policemen said they immediately edployed to C-3 hoping to catch up with Arnaiz and Bagcal tailing behind in his taxi.
When they spotted Arnaiz, Bacgal shouted that he was the person who robbed him. The policemen said they “shouted to the person to stop walking while we introduced as policemen.”
The respondents claimed Arnaiz, “instead of stopping, faced us, drew his gun, and started shooting us.” They claimed they instinctively fired back to protect themselves.
However, the counter-affidavit of the policemen conflicted with the findings of forensic experts and the statement of another witness that Arnaiz was shot and killed at 1:30 a.m. that day.
Arnaiz was last seen alive on Aug. 18 the same day in his neighborhood in Cainta, Rizal with Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman, 14.
De Guzman’s body was later found in a creek in Gapan City with a packing tape wrapped around his head and bearing around 30 stab wounds.