MANILA, Philippines — Seven years have passed since 17-year-old Kian delos Santos was gunned down by police conducting anti-drug operations in Caloocan on Aug. 16, 2017, but justice remains elusive for him.
According to Kabataan partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, justice for Kian requires the conviction of drug war top dogs and an end to extra-judicial killings (EJKs).
“Justice will never be served to Kian while those who ordered the operations and the ‘kill, kill, kill’ policy of the drug war are not sent to jail,” Manuel said.
He demanded that Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who ordered the drug war when he was still head of the Philippine National Police, and former president Rodrigo Duterte be submitted to an investigation.
Manuel noted the two have been running away from their accountability in Kian’s death.
“Those who were assassinated are not just a number. There are thousands of faces and stories behind these numbers, and they are crying for justice,” he said.