The grade 11 student Kian Loyd delos Santos who was killed during a drug raid at Caloocan City was recently found out to be the drug courier for his father and uncles, police reports claim.
“Si Kian ay ginagamit ng kanyang ama. Ang ama niya mismo ang user, mga uncle ang mga pusher diyan at ginagamit si Kian na courier. Kaya nag-surface ang pangalan niya sa area mismo,” Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald dela Rosa said.
Dela Rosa disclosed that information from intelligence community and the Caloocan City police claims that Saldy delos Santos, Kian’s father, was notorious for being the neighborhood ruffian which kept witnesses and residents from speaking up about the family.
“Pati ang intelligence community natin na nagko-conduct ng operation plan sa Caloocan mismo, ang mga kapitbahay doon takot mismo na magsalita ng against sa kanila dahil kilalang siga ang ama pati mga uncle niyan, siga sa lugar. Yan ang nasasagap ng ating mga intel operatives diyan sa area,” dela Rosa said.
Kian is viewed as the victim of his family’s illegal drug trade involvement, and dela Rosa acknowledges that there would have been room for change for the young man.
“Biktima lang ang bata at ginagamit ng ama. Bigyan siya ng pagkakataon na magbagong-buhay at matuto na mali ang ginagawa niya. Sumusunod siya sa utos ng kanyang pusher na ama. Bata pa, magbago pa yan,” he said.
The untoward circumstances that happened to Kian is currently being investigated. Dela Rosa has already issued an order to the PNP-Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) lest the “isolated case” affects the whole reputation of the police force.
“I want to reiterate I do not tolerate abuses from my personnel, from my men. So much so that our internal cleansing program having breakthrough, na masisira naman dito kung talagang ma-establish na may pang-aabusong ginawa ang pulis Caloocan,” he said.
In the wake of these controversies, the PNP Chief ordered the relief of Caloocan City Police Chief Senior Superintendent Chito Bersaluna and three other police personnel present during the botched drug raid.
While the death of Kian merited the PNP Chief’s dismay, he admits that the drug operation was legitimate due to the drug syndicates involved.
“Dismayed ako sa outcome ng operation, bakit napatay ang bata, pero hindi ako dismayed sa operation itself dahil meron naman talagang basehan ang operation na itinuturo talaga si Kian ay source ng droga doon sa area,” he said.