Napolcom: CCTV footage on Kian needs validation

MANILA - The National Police Commission (Napolcom) is also looking into the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos during a police anti-drug operation in Caloocan City.

Napolcom Vice Chairman Rogelio Casurao said the CCTV footage showing two men dragging the teen before he was killed has yet to be validated despite corroborating witnesses' accounts.

"These are optic evidence that has to be explained by experts... Things like these have to be validated by experts. It doesn't carry much weight and is still subject to validation," he told ANC Monday.

Despite the CCTV footage, the cops who conducted the anti-drug operation claim that the Grade 11 student fired at them, prompting them to shoot back.

Casurao said there would have been no problem resolving the claims if the cops in the operation had body cameras.

Meanwhile, the Napolcom official said the agency is only limited to an administrative investigation and the highest penalty it can impose on a police officer is dismissal from service.

Since July 2016, the Napolcom has investigated 60 cops for violation of procedures on police operations. Of these number, 30 have been dismissed, 15 are on "floating status", while 15 were suspended.