Cops insist: Body in creek not Kulot’s

MANILA, Philippines — Two former Caloocan policemen charged for the killing of two teenagers insisted yesterday that the body found floating in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija was not that of 14-year-old Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman.

Lawyer Dodjie Encinas said Police Officers 1 Ricky Arquilita and Jefrey Perez filed a motion for the court to allow them to post bail in the cases of murder, torture, and planting of evidence filed against them by Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors for allegedly killing teenagers De Guzman and Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19, on Aug. 18 last year.

In their motion for bail, Encinas said the two cited an autopsy report conducted by  Philippine National Police (PNP) that the body found floating at the Kinamatayang Kabayo creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija last Sept. 5 was not that of De Guzman, after the DNA samples failed to match those of De Guzman’s parents.

De Guzman’s parents, however, identified Kulot’s body due to a wart on the knee and a scar on the neck.

During yesterday’s hearing, Judge Georgina Hidalgo granted the defense panel’s motion for the presentation in court of the autopsy reports conducted on De Guzman’s body by the police, Public Attorney’s Office, and the Commission on Human Rights.

She also ordered the prosecutors to coordinate with the DOJ whether or not the latter would send state prosecutors for the trial of the double murder case.

Meanwhile, the judge ordered prosecutors to file their comment on the lawmen’s motion for them to be continuously detained at Camp Bagong Diwa instead of the Caloocan City Jail due to safety risks.