MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday, August 21, that its Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will conduct a probe into the case of Kian delos Santos, the 17-year-old killed during a police operation.

“[The CIDG] will investigate the circumstance of the death of Kian Loyd delos Santos...iba ito sa [Internal Affairs Service],” PNP Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said in a press briefing. (The CIDG will investigate the circumstance of the death of Kian Lloyd delos Santos…this is different from the probe of the Internal Affairs Service.)

True to its name, the CIDG focuses on major criminal cases such as murder and homicide, which shows, Carlos said, that the PNP is serious in its effort to look into the case. (READ: How Kian delos Santos was killed, according to police)

On the other hand, the PNP IAS conducts motu proprio, or “of its own impulse,” investigations into operations where police shoot, wound, or kill a suspect.

The 3 relieved policemen —PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz, and PO1 Jeremias Pereda— will also be put in restrictive custody by the CIDG at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Currently, they report to the Regional Police Holding and Accounting Unit at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

The police have yet to introduce the CIDG team handling Delos Santos’ case.

Other investigations welcome, but…

According to Carlos, the PNP welcomes other investigations into the case of Delos Santos as they would aid in their “internal cleansing.”

He urged the public, however, that they must not get too caught up in “their emotions”, finding the accused cops as guilty without second thoughts.

“Meron pong we need to ease out of our ranks, [pero] yung desisyon on this case hindi po desisyon ni Juan o ni Pedro,” Carlos said. (There are cops that we need to ease out of our ranks, but the decision here must not come from just anybody.)

Outside the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) have launched their own investigation.

Malacañang also vowed to conduct its impartial investigation into the recent rise in killings in recent one-time, big-time operations, despite President Rodrigo Duterte lauding the deaths.

Senators allied with the President also called for an inquiry into the killings in the PNP’s war on drugs, Delos Santos’ case included. – Rappler.com