The Supreme Court of the Philippines has delivered a landmark verdict, affirming the murder conviction of three police officers for the 2017 killing of 17-year-old student Kian Loyd Delos Santos. This final ruling is seen by advocacy groups as a pivotal moment that could significantly bolster the International Criminal Court's (ICC) ongoing investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial drug war.
A Final Verdict and a Blow to Impunity
In a decision penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez and made public on December 22, 2025, the High Court found Caloocan City police officers Arnel Oares, Jeremias Pereda, and Jerwin Cruz guilty of murder. The court sentenced each to up to 40 years in prison without parole and ordered them to pay the Delos Santos family P275,000 in damages.
The Supreme Court firmly upheld the finding that the killing involved treachery. Citing a medico-legal officer's testimony, the court stated that the nature of Kian's gunshot wounds indicated he was likely sitting or kneeling when he was shot. "The bullets entered from the side and back of his head, showing that he likely did not see his attackers and was unable to defend himself," the court's media statement explained.
The Night of the Killing: A Timeline of Tragedy
The tragic incident occurred on August 16, 2017, in Baesa, Caloocan City. According to witness accounts and the Supreme Court's findings, the three officers stopped and frisked the young student. After allegedly finding suspected drugs, they ignored his pleas as he cried and begged to go home for a school exam the next day.
The court detailed a chilling sequence of events: the officers punched Kian, then forced him to hold a towel covering an object that looked like a gun. They made him stand with his shirt raised over his head before dragging him toward a dark, secluded area near a river. Moments later, multiple gunshots rang out.
The Supreme Court concluded that the policemen "deliberately took Kian to a secluded location and placed him in a helpless position, enabling them to kill him with impunity and ensuring the execution of the crime."
Implications for the ICC and Calls for a Truth Commission
The youth advocacy group Spark hailed the Supreme Court decision as a "welcome development." They expressed hope that it would help curb the "culture of impunity and grave abuse of authority among the police." More significantly, Spark asserted that this domestic legal victory will strengthen the ICC's case against former President Duterte and his associates regarding the widespread extrajudicial killings during his administration.
Reacting to the ruling, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez stated that Malacañang still needs to review the Supreme Court decision. He added that this development highlights the necessity of considering proposals from various sectors for an independent Truth Commission to conduct a deeper probe into the drug war killings.
The murder of Kian Delos Santos, captured on CCTV and witnessed by residents, became one of the most high-profile and galvanizing cases of Duterte's anti-drug campaign, sparking national outrage and sustained calls for justice and accountability that continue to this day.
