The department says it 'denounces all forms of violence against our students, teachers, and personnel,' and echoes the call for an impartial investigation

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) on Sunday, August 21, said it condemns the killing of one of its students, Kian Loyd delos Santos, by Caloocan police during an anti-drug operation in the city.

"The Department of Education strongly condemns the shooting of Kian Loyd Delos Santos, a Grade 11 student of Our Lady of Lourdes Senior High School in Valenzuela, by elements of the Caloocan police," the DepEd said in a statement.

The department said it "denounces all forms of violence against our students, teachers, and personnel," and echoed the call for an impartial investigation into Delos Santos' death last Wednesday, August 16.

The 17-year-old allegedly fought back against police during an operation last Wednesday, August 16, but CCTV footage showed otherwise. Eyewitnesses also said the kid was handed a gun by police, and was ordered to pull the trigger and run.

The kid's death has triggered outrage from citizens, politicians, the Church, and many other sectors, and has highlighted once again the bloody war on drugs campaign of the Duterte administration, which has been linked to at least 7,000 deaths, including minors. (READ: Our son, Kian: A good, sweet boy)

"While we acknowledge that law enforcement is an important aspect in the government's comprehensive efforts to battle illegal drugs, ensuring accuracy of information and upholding the rule of law should not be compromised," the department said.

As part of the anti-drug abuse campaign, the department recently announced that it will begin its random drug testing program of students and teachers in public and private high schools in September.

DepEd said this would allow her department to determine the prevalence of drug users among students and teachers and help assess the effectivity of school-based and community-based prevention programs.

However, DepEd said the results will be confidential and won't be an alternate "tokhang" – in reference to the Philippine National Police's Oplan Tokhang. – Rappler.com </s> Netizens express outrage over the death of a Grade 11 student during a drug raid

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of the story said Kian was among 25 killed in Caloocan. The 25 killings happened in Manila, while Kian was among 13 reported dead in Caloocan. We apologize for the error.

MANILA, Philippines – Netizens expressed their outrage on Friday, August 18, over the death of Grade 11 student Kian Lloyd delos Santos, an alleged drug runner who was not on any drug list. Delos Santos was among those killed in the recent rise in police operation casualties.

CCTV footage of the 17-year-old, who did not seem to show any signs of fighting back against the police, made the rounds on social media. This is contrary to the authorities' claim that he had fired a gun at policemen, who in turn fired back in self-defense. (READ: Bishop slams killing of 17-year-old boy in drug war)

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa apologized on the same day to the families of drug suspects killed in police operations, but this did not deter netizens from voicing out using the hashtag #JusticeforKian.

The hashtag rose up the ranks of Twitter's top Philippine trends, along with the phrase "Kian delos Santos." </s> The Caloocan police's initial investigation report states 17-year-old Kian delos Santos fired shots first, then was killed after being chased by police

MANILA, Philippines – Police involved in the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos maintain that he fought back.

According to the Caloocan police's consolidated initial investigation report obtained by Rappler, cops were only forced to retaliate during the raid that claimed Delos Santos' life, which was part of the cops' one-time, big-time operation.

As told by PO3 Arnel Oares, it all happened at around 8:45 pm of August 16 with an 11-man team from Caloocan Police Community Precinct 7 (PCP-7) conducting an anti-drug and anti-crime operation at Block 7, Riverside, in Barangay 160.

Oares said they "divided themselves into groups" to cover more ground.

Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz, PO1 Jeremias Pereda, and a civilian informant formed "one of the groups that crossed the basketball court." Other groups were tasked to cover other narrow passages.

Oares and his team entered an alley "on the right portion" of the court and "subsequently turned left."

In that lane, they were met "by several male persons who were scampering away after sensing the operation."

Oares said in the report that they were "prompted to go after" the men, starting a chase.

He said they identified themselves as cops but the men did not stop.

As they reached the end of the path, described by Oares as "a narrow road blocked by a concrete fence bordering Valenzuela City by [the] Tullahan River," shots were fired "from their left side."

He said the shots got them ducking, but they "managed to spot the retreating male person."

Oares then chased the gunman. The cop said he was "prompted to return fire" to prevent further aggression, and ended up killing the gunman.

Recovered from the scene were 4 fired cartridge cases, a caliber .45 pistol, and two transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substances believed to be shabu.

The next day, PCP-7 conducted another operation along Tullahan Road, Apple Ville, Barangay 162, resulting in the arrest of a certain Renato Lovares and "3 other drug personalities."

Lovares apparently told police that Delos Santos "receives 10 grams of shabu daily," sometimes handed to him by a certain Jeslyn Escopin, daughter of arrested drug suspect Jessie Escopin.

The police report added that a background investigation on Saldy delos Santos, Kian's father, revealed that he was "involved in criminal activities in the past."

Despite accusations against the Delos Santos family, however, Metro Manila police chief Director Oscar Albayalde said they are focusing primarily on the allegation that the younger Delos Santos was a victim of an extrajudicial killing.

Based on CCTV footage and eyewitness reports, Delos Santos was unarmed, but given a gun by the police and coerced to run and shoot.

With doubts surrounding the narrative of Oares and his team, they have been placed under the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit – the unit where cops report daily when they are suspended.

Their supervisor, Police Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, was also relieved and assigned to the holding unit.

The case of Delos Santos has sparked outrage in the country, with many believing there was foul play.

The cops are facing a probe by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Internal Affairs Service (IAS), but separate investigations are also being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Senators allied with President Rodrigo Duterte are also calling for an inquiry into Delos Santos' death and the other recent killings in Duterte's war on drugs. – Rappler.com </s> related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

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More than a thousand mourners attended a funeral procession in the Philippines capital Manila on Saturday for a high school student, whose killing last week by anti-drugs officers has caused rare public outrage about the country's war on drugs.

MANILA: More than a thousand mourners attended a funeral procession in the Philippines capital Manila on Saturday for a high school student, whose killing last week by anti-drugs officers has caused rare public outrage about the country's war on drugs.

Kian Loyd delos Santos was dragged by plain-clothes policemen to a dark, trash-filled alley in northern Manila, before he was shot in the head and left next to a pigsty, according to witnesses whose accounts appeared to be backed up by CCTV footage.

The death of the 17-year old has drawn huge domestic attention to allegations by activists that police have been systematically executing suspected users and dealers, a charge the authorities deny.

"I came to support the family. I want justice for Kian and all victims - including my son," Katherine David, 35, whose 21-year old son was shot dead by police with two other men in January.

Mourners, some of them wearing white shirts displaying the words "Justice for Kian," held flowers and small flags, and placards denouncing the killing, as the procession including vans and motorbikes moved out of delos Santos' home in Caloocan city.

Delos Santos' flower-draped coffin passed slowly through narrow streets on a flat-bed truck with two black and red coloured tarpaulins containing the words "Run, Kian, Run" and "Stop the killings" displayed on each side.

The cortege made a brief stop in front of police precinct where three police officers involved in the killing of Delos Santos were assigned before proceeding to the church.

The parents and lawyers of delos Santos filed a murder complaint against the three anti-narcotics policemen on Friday.

If accepted, the complaint would follow at least two cases filed last year against police over President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, which has killed thousands of Filipinos, outraged human rights groups and alarmed Western governments.

"We march today to bring Kian to his final resting place and to support the call for justice for all victims of Duterte’s fascist drug war," said Renato Reyes, secretary general of left-wing activist group Bayan (Nation), said in a statement.

"We call for accountability of the police officers directly involved in the killings as well as accountability of the commander-in-chief who sanctioned the killings," Reyes said.

A member of Rise Up, a Manila-based coalition of church-related groups opposing the drug war, told Reuters that families of about 20 victims joined the procession.

David believes the response to Kian's killing marks a turning point in opposite to the drug war.

"There's been a big change. Before, police could kill and nobody paid attention. Now people are starting to show support and sympathy," she said.
Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year old Grade 11 student, was shot dead by police after trying to escape an antidrug operation in Caloocan.