Uncle of Kian delos Santos Lost His Job After Bato Wrongly Linked Him to Drugs
RANDY DELOS SANTOS – The uncle of Kian delos Santos—a teenager killed by the police—shared the impact of false accusations made by then-PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
During a Senate investigation into the Duterte administration’s drug war, Randy explained that after Kian’s killing, dela Rosa wrongly claimed that Kian’s father and he were drug dealers using Kian as a courier. This accusation led to his firing and being shunned by the community, even though they were known as Jehovah’s Witnesses who spread their faith door-to-door.
Randy, now a field coordinator for Project Paghilom, a support group for families of drug war victims, condemned the lack of accountability for police officers involved in these killings, noting that his group represents over 300 affected families who have faced pressure from authorities to deter them from seeking justice.
Christina Gonzales also testified, revealing that she and her husband, Joselito, sold drugs supplied by police officers, which made them feel safe from arrest. However, in 2016, as Duterte’s anti-drug campaign intensified, Joselito was advised to leave town. He refused and was later taken by the police and found dead in a morgue. Gonzales named certain police officers who were allegedly responsible for supplying drugs to her husband, prompting Senator Koko Pimentel to summon them for the next hearing.
Senator Robin Padilla argued that not all drug-related deaths should be blamed on the Duterte administration, emphasizing the need to fight drug gangs to protect future generations. In response, former President Duterte and high-ranking officials are under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity due to the thousands of deaths during the drug war.
While official police figures estimate around 6,000 deaths, human rights groups claim the actual number could reach 30,000, including vigilante killings. Duterte and his administration deny any order to kill and maintain that the Philippines is not subject to ICC jurisdiction following its 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute.