MANILA, Philippines – Carl Arnaiz was intentionally killed, said Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) forensic head Dr Erwin Erfe, contrary to the police report which stated that the 19-year-old had a shoot-out with the police, resulting in his death.

“Based on trajectory studies namin, mukhang nakaluhod siya at the time sa unang 2-3 shots, ‘yung last 2 shots inflicted na nakahiga na siya (Based on our trajectory studies, it looks like he was kneeling at the time of the first 2-3 shots, and the last 2 shots were inflicted while he was lying down),” Erfe said in a press briefing held at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, September 4.

Erfe said the PAO autopsy results show Arnaiz suffered 5 gunshot wounds – 3 to the middle of his chest, one to the left side of his chest, and one to the back of his arm.

“Ang terminology po namin na ginagamit lalo [na] ang tama ay sa vital organs ay intentional killing (Intentional killing is the terminology we use if the shots are aimed at vital organs),” Erfe said.

It also appears that Arnaiz was handcuffed, beaten up, and dragged before he was shot.

“Marami din kaming nakitang injuries. Marami do’n puro gasgas sa katawan, sa likod. Mukhang binugbog siya, may dalawang black eye sa mata at galos dito (shoulder) tsaka markings ng posas marami sa kanang kamay. All in all, naposas siya, binugbog, kinaladkad, saka pinatay,” Erfe said.

(We saw many injuries. He had a lot of bruises on his body, on his back. It looks like he was beaten up, he had two black eyes and bruises on his shoulder. He had markings of handcuffs, many on his right hand. All in all, he was handcuffed, beaten up, dragged, and then killed.)

Shootout?

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa had said that Caloocan City cops tried to apprehend Arnaiz for earlier robbing a cab driver on August 18, but the teenager supposedly fired at the police, prompting a shootout in the C3 area.

Dela Rosa said the cops should produce the cab driver as their witness. (READ: Carl Arnaiz another Kian delos Santos? Nope, says Dela Rosa)

A police report quoted by the Inquirer said Arnaiz had a .38-caliber pistol and used it to hit the cab driver before taking his wallet. When the cab driver reported the alleged robbery to the cops, they patrolled the area and that’s where they found Arnaiz before the supposed shootout ensued.

“It doesn’t match sa ebidensya na nakita namin sa body ni Carl (with the evidence we found on Carl’s body),” Erfe said.

Sachets of suspected shabu and packets of marijuana were also allegedly recovered from Arnaiz, according to the police report.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has since ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a parallel probe into Arnaiz’s death. PAO chief Persida Acosta, who’s now handling the case for the Arnaiz family, said they welcome the NBI probe because they’re having difficulty obtaining evidence such as CCTV footage.

Arnaiz left their home in Cainta, Rizal on August 17, telling his relatives he was going to buy food with a 14-year-old friend. The friend is still missing.

His disappearance forced his father Carlito to rush to Manila from Leyte, while his mother Eva flew home from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They eventually found their son’s body at a morgue on August 28.

Arnaiz graduated valedictorian from elementary school and was a scholar of the Makati Science High School. He was previously enrolled at the University of the Philippines Diliman but took a leave of absence due to depression.

“Parang may parallelism or may common denominator itong Kian delos Santos at Carl Arnaiz, parehong OFW (overseas Filipino worker) ang nanay, parehong Caloocan. Maraming matinong pulis, maraming pulis ang handang magbuwis ng buhay para sa bayan, pero maraming naliligaw ng landas na dapat masupil ng batas,” Acosta said.

(There is a parallelism or common denominator between Kian delos Santos and Carl Arnaiz. Both their mothers are OFWs, they were both killed in Caloocan. There are many good cops, there are many cops who are ready to die for the country, but there are also a lot of cops who have lost their way and need to be brought to justice.) – Rappler.com