Carl Arnaiz buried: ‘Salamat sa mga naniniwalang inosente siyang tao’

MANILA, Philippines – Nineteen-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz, who was killed by Caloocan City cops more than two weeks ago, was buried Tuesday afternoon, September 5, at the San Roque Cemetery in Pateros. 

His burial took place as a Senate committee was conducting a hearing on the case of another teenager who also died in the hands of policemen from Caloocan two days before Arnaiz. Results of the autopsy on Arnaiz was also taken up in the hearing. (READ: Kian and Carl: Parallelism in the deaths of two boys) 

On Tuesday, the Arnaiz family also got an assurance from Malacañang that an impartial and transparent probe into the teenager’s death would be conducted. 

“Salamat po sa mga nagmamahal sa kapatid ko at naniniwala na inosente siyang tao,” Arnaiz’s older sister Camille said during the mass before the teenager was laid to rest. (Thank you to all those who love my brother and who believe he is an innocent person.) 

While the family lived in Cainta, Rizal, east of Metro Manila, the mass was held at the Mater Dolorosa Parish because Arnaiz grew up in the area. 

Only a small crowd, composed of mostly relatives and friends, joined the procession for Arnaiz, unlike the hundreds of protesters who attended the burial of Kian delos Santos, the other teenager killed by Caloocan cops. There was outpouring of grief for him on social media, however. (READ: Youth and human rights group, netizens condemn Carl Arnaiz slay)

Arnaiz was declared missing for 10 days before his family found his remains in a morgue in Caloocan, some 20 kilometers from his house.

Police claimed they killed Arnaiz in a shootout after he allegedly robbed a taxi driver along C3 road in Caloocan City on August 18.

Results of the autopsy conducted by the Public Attorney’s Office debunked the police statements, and showed that Arnaiz was “intentionally killed.”

Arnaiz was a former student at the University and the Philippines, and a scholar at the Makati Science High School. – Rappler.com