Where is Reynaldo De Guzman?
The 14-year-old companion of Carl Angelo Arnaiz, the teen who turned up dead after an alleged police encounter, is still missing.
Reynaldo’s mother, Linda Gabriel, said her son left their home in Cainta, Rizal, to have midnight snacks with 19-year-old Arnaiz and other neighbors last Aug. 17.
READ: Public Attorney’s Office calls on police to end killings after second teen found dead
Hours later, Arnaiz was shot dead by policemen after he allegedly attempted to rob a taxi driver along C-3 Road in Caloocan, some 22 kilometers away from his home.
Arnaiz’s family found his body in a morgue 10 days later.
Forensic experts said the boy’s body bore torture marks, and that he was repeatedly shot while kneeling or sprawled on the ground.
Reynaldo’s parents meanwhile have yet to receive word on the whereabouts of their son.
Linda said she believes Reynaldo is still alive but is being held against his will.
“That’s my hunch. My child is still alive, but being held against his will. My child is not out of danger. I hope he comes home alive,” she said in an interview with DZMM.
“Wherever you are, whoever is holding you, don’t suddenly leave. Let the media go to you so you can come home alive.”
Reynaldo is a Grade 5 student in Pasay. Arnaiz meanwhile was a freshman at the University of the Philippines-Diliman until he dropped out due to depression.
The police and the Department of Justice are looking into Arnaiz’s death, which happened the same week that anti-narcotics cops in Caloocan shot dead 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos.
READ: Manila police say they shot a 17-year-old out of self-defense, CCTV shows otherwise
Witnesses have said that delos Santos, who police tagged as a drug courier, was mauled by officers and given a gun. Police also admitted that they verified the Grade 12 student’s alleged drug links on social media only a day after his killing.
with reports from ABS-CBN News
