MANILA, Philippines — Judge Georgina Hidalgo of the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 122 has ordered the arrest of police officers 1 Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita, who allegedly killed 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz and 14-year-old Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman in August last year.
According to the order of arrest dated January 23, 2018, the two have been charged with murder. There is no bail recommended.
According to a report by philstar.com, the Department of Justice filed on Friday last week murder charges against Perez and Arquilita.
“In a 35-page resolution, the DOJ said that it found probable cause to indict PO1 Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Arquilita on murder, planting of evidence and torture of the two teenagers,” the article read.
Dalawang pulis na sangkot sa pagpatay kay Carl Arnaiz at Reynaldo de Guzman, ipinaaresto na ng Caloocan RTC Branch 122 | via @jv_arcena pic.twitter.com/5AVVY3abja
— News5 AKSYON (@News5AKSYON) January 25, 2018
The DOJ resolution, dated December 18, 2017, was cited as saying Arnaiz was deliberately killed when Perez and Arquilita shot him on different parts of his body, as evidenced by the multiple gunshot wounds which caused his immediate death.
Meanwhile, the DOJ said that it was “unimaginable” how De Guzman’s body was found in Nueva Ecija, and that a witness had seen him last with Arnaiz.
“To the mind of the Panel, the circumstantial evidence present in the death of De Guzman suffices to warrant a finding of probable cause against respondents-police Perez and Arquilita also for the crime of murder,” the DOJ said.
It also dismissed murder charges against taxi driver Tomas Marleo Bagcal, noting that the “contradicting statements he made relative to the killing of Carl Angelo and Kulot” were done “under threats of respondents.”
Arnaiz left his Cainta home on August 18, 2017 with de Guzman to buy a midnight snack.
According to an August 30, 2017 spot report, Arnaiz hailed the taxi Bagcal was driving in Navotas City at about 3:20 a.m. on August 18. When the cab reached C-3 Road in Caloocan, he allegedly hit Bagcal at the back of the head with a .38-caliber revolver and took the driver’s wallet.
The report said that Arnaiz was killed in a shootout with responding policemen, and that two packs of marijuana were found in his pocket, while three packs of suspected shabu were found in his backpack.
But his parents said he had left their Cainta home carrying a sling bag.
