A PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory report released Wednesday showed Kian Lloyd Delos Santos, the 11th grader who was killed in an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City, sustained only two gunshot wounds in the head.
The Crime Laboratory report contradicted the findings released by a team of forensic experts from the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) that said Delos Santos was shot three times.
"This is based on the report of Doktora (Joselyn) Cruz. There are two gunshot wounds pareho po ninyo makikita sa ulo. Ang una po sa tenga mismo sa kanyang ear and then 'yung sumunod that is nasa likod ng tenga and both of those nag-exit (on the other side)," Dr. Jane Monzon, PNP Crime Laboratory medico-legal officer, said in a press briefing.
The bullets in Delos Santos's case had downward trajectory, she added.
Monzon said the 17-year-old could have been shot at a distance of more than 60 centimeters away from the tip of the barrel, which they do not consider as a close range shooting.
"Sa distance, if pagba-basehan ko po, there were not soot nor stippling, so meaning malayo. Soot is the blackening materials naine-emit kapag bumaril ka may luamalabas na soot 'yun, while the stippling it is really there is abrasion na makikita mo (sa area kung saan tumama ang bala)," she said.
"Perhaps kung na make-upan or nahugasan (pwede mawala ang soot) pero ang stippling hindi mawawala yan. Ang soot nawawala kasi the stippling is the permanent abrasion on the skin," she added.
According to PAO's report, one bullet entered Delos Santos's left back and pierced through his lungs; one entered his ear; and another bullet entered the back portion of his ear.
PAO medico-legal officer Erwin Erfe said earlier that they did not find any bruises or contusion in Delos Santos' body that would suggest he fought back, but he sustained blunt injuries in the abdomen, which could have been caused by a blow to the stomach.
The PAO concluded in its report that Delos Santos was intentionally killed by his attackers.
But Monzon said they did not find any other wound in the victim's body aside from two incisions in the right lateral neck and right thigh, which appeared to be due to the embalming process.
Monzon said they failed to get urine sample for drug testing as Delos Santos was already embalmed when they conducted the examination.
Meantime, Delos Santos tested negative in the paraffin test, despite police claims that he fired shots first.
Various sectors have condemned the killing of the minor in the government's intensified campaign against illegal drugs. (VoxPop Philippines)
