MANILA - Eleven more Caloocan City policemen facing charges over the killing of Kian Delos Santos told the justice department on Monday they were “erroneously charged” because they were not present at the site where the 17-year old was gunned down by their colleagues.

In a joint counter-affidavit, Police Offficers 1 (PO1) Reynaldo Dan M. Blanco, Jr., Ceferino B. Paculan, Erwin C. Romeroso, and Ferdinand R. Claro pointed out that while they happened to be members of police community precinct 7 that conducted the anti-drug and anti-crime operation, dubbed “One Time Big Time,” on August 16, they “were not at the crime scene when Kian delos Santos was being pursued by [respondent] PO3 Arnel G. Oares because they [were] still in the barangay hall making the proper coordination.”

Delos Santos was gunned down by the group of PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz, and PO1 Jeremias Pereda, in what the three policemen called a “legitimate operation.”

Oares, Cruz, and Pereda, along with precinct commander, Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, were the original respondents named in the complaint filed by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) on behalf of Delos Santos’ parents, Saldy and Lorenza delos Santos.

Blanco, et al. defended the incident, as they stressed “[t]he death of Kian delos Santos happened because our police officer (Oares, who fired the shots at Delos Santos) is in imminent danger that he had to defend himself.”

A separate joint counter-affidavit was submitted by PO2 Arnel R. Cañezares, PO2 Fernan C. Cano, PO2 Diony B. Corpuz, PO1 Silverio C. Garcia, Jr., PO1 J-Rossillini O. Lorenzo, PO1 Christian Joy G. Aguilar, PO1 Myrldon L. Yagi, and PO1 Ronald B. Herrera, who also maintained that they, too, have been “erroneously charged” for Delos Santos’ death.

Herrera, whose signature did not appear on the joint counter-affidavit, failed to subscribe to the same because he was absent in the hearing.

Cañezares, et al. argued they were not part of the subject operation, and are mere members of police community precinct 7.

All 11 respondents urged the Department of Justice to dismiss the complaint, as they also stressed complainants failed to prove there was conspiracy among them, since the reply affidavit of the Delos Santos couple to Oares et al.’s joint counter-affidavit “admitted that ‘implied conspiracy’ existed only among respondents [Oares, Pereda, and Cruz].”

Complainants have up to October 25 to submit their reply affidavit on the two joint counter-affdavits submitted on Monday, while respondents have up to October 27 to submit their rejoinder affidavits.

The DOJ says it intends to resolve the case on the second week of November.