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'We are the victims': Kian's dad rejects drug links

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ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The family of slain 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos on Monday rejected the national police&#x27;s claim that he was an illegal drugs courier, and insisted that he was the victim.Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Sunday the 11th grader <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/20/17/kian-was-drug-courier-for-dad-uncles-dela-rosa">delivered drugs</a> for his father and uncle and presented to media a professed pusher who claimed to have had <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/20/17/katransaksyon-sa-droga-ni-kian-inilabas-ng-pnp">transactions with Kian</a>.Kian was killed last Wednesday in the deadliest week for drug suspects under President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s anti-narcotics drive.Church leaders have condemned the violence, with outgoing Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Socrates Villegas telling the faithful on Sunday that the <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/20/17/ang-gulo-ng-bayan-says-cbcp-president-after-drug-wars-bloodiest-week">country was in &quot;chaos.&quot;</a>Kian&#x27;s father, Saldy delos Santos, said his family was willing to take a drug test to prove their innocence. He also asked Dela Rosa for a fair investigation.&quot;Sana maging patas naman po, kaawan ninyo ang bata kasi wala naman po kaming alam. Kami ang biktima dito, kami ang dapat tulungan,&quot; Saldy told radio DZMM.(Please be fair, have mercy on the child because we know nothing. We are the victim here. We are the ones you should should help.)<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QGksy2rUiPQ" width="560"></iframe></figure>Saldy added that Kian could not have been a drug courier because he followed a tight schedule in school and was helping in his family&#x27;s store.Neighbors, he said, would not have sympathized with their family if they were involved in illegal activities.&quot;Napakalabo po. Kung kami ay nagtitinda ng drugs... hindi na po maghihirap magtinda ang anak ko ng tinapa,&quot; he said.&quot;Kung kami po ay ganoong tao, sana po wala nang makikisimpatya sa amin. E di wala nang pumunta sa anak ko.&quot;(It does not make sense. We would be selling smoked fish if we&#x27;re selling drugs. If we are did that, nobody would have sympathized with us. Nobody would have gone to my sons&#x27;s wake.)Kian was killed Wednesday in an alleged shootout with policemen in Barangay 160, Caloocan. Several witnesses however claimed that the student was <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/08/17/17/binatilyo-patay-nang-manlaban-sa-pulis-pero-iba-ang-kuha-sa-cctv">mauled by policemen</a>, given a gun and told to run for his life.Dela Rosa maintained Monday that police conducted the operation based on intelligence reports that Kian was a drug courier.&quot;Hindi naman mag-o-operate ang pulis kung walang basehan. Alangan namang pupunta doon, dampot na lang nang dampot ng tao, baril na lang nang baril,&quot; the PNP chief said in a DZMM interview.(Police will not mount operations without basis. It is illogical that they would go there to arrest just about anyone and open fire without reason.)<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQP0VmqhCw0" width="560"></iframe></figure>Asked about why Kian&#x27;s name was not in the drugs watchlist, Dela Rosa added: &quot;Hindi naman kaagad mailagay sa drugs watchlist ang pangalan mo kung ngayon lang nag-surface ang pangalan mo.&quot;(Your name will not be placed in the drugs watchlist immediately after it has surfaced.)Dela Rosa however declined to comment on why Kian&#x27;s supposed gun was found in his left hand although he is right-handed. This, he said, should be explained by crime scene investigators.The PNP chief promised an impartial prove into the incident, saying he does not condone any abuse by his men.&quot;Hindi ko gusto ang outcome ng operation na namatay ang bata dahil bata pa iyun e, pwede pang magbago,&quot; he said. &quot;Ang aking assurance sa publiko, ang ating pulis, kung sila ay gumagawa ng pang-aabuso, talagang mananagot sila. Hindi ko po tino-tolerate iyan, hindi ko po ini-encourage ang ating mga pulis na pumatay nang pumatay.(I do not like the outcome of the operation because a minor died and he could still change. I assure the public that we will hold our officers accountable if they committed any abuse. I do not tolerate that, I do not encourage our police to go on killing sprees.)The National Bureau of Investigation and the Senate are conducting separate investigation into Kian&#x27;s death.The teenager, who had dreamed of being a cop, will be buried Sunday.

The family of slain 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos on Monday rejected the national police's claim that he was an illegal drugs courier, and insisted that he was the victim.

The family of slain 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos on Monday rejected the national police's claim that he was an illegal drugs courier, and insisted that he was the victim.