“What this conviction shows is that the criminal justice system in the Philippines is working. While others may see a slow resolution of cases, the bottomline is there is a conviction. We welcome this,” Fajardo told Inquirer.net in a phone interview.
She also noted that the PNP takes cognizance that some cases against police officers and non-uniformed personnel remain pending before the courts. “There may be some delays in the resolution of these cases, but we have to understand that the PNP has no control over this. It’s really up to the courts to decide on these pending cases,” she added.Perez’s guilty ruling is only the second criminal conviction linking police officers to the brutal war on drugs.
In 2018 police officers Arnel Oares, Jeremias Pereda, and Jerwin Cruz were found liable for the murder of 17-year-old high school student Kian delos Santos.