Witness says he saw cops shoot kneeling person who might have been Carl Arnaiz

The Public Attorney's Office on Monday presented a witness who claims to have seen two policemen kill a person along C-3 Road in Caloocan City at around 1 a.m. on August 18.

The witness, identified only as "Joe," was presented to the media with his head swathed in cloth to protect his identity.

Joe said the killing happened in a location different from the place the Caloocan City police claimed was where 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz was shot during his alleged attempt to resist arrest.

On Ivan Mayrina's report for "24 Oras," Joe revisited grassy patch where he spotted two policemen handling a young man in handcuffs.

He said he had been walking home from a party and hid behind a post to witness the scene.

"Tinutukan po siya nang nakaluhod na po 'yung binatilyo na naka-posas po," he said.

"Dalawang pulis po 'yung nakita ko. Malalaking katawan po tapos army cut po 'yung gupit," he added.

Joe said it was only after hearing about Arnaiz's death that he realized he had possibly witnessed the teenager's last moments.

Joe consulted a priest, who urged him to reveal what he had witnessed.

Apart from the person in handcuffs, Joe claimed he saw another, seemingly smaller, teenager waiting in the police mobile's back seat.

"Nung binuksan po 'yung police mobile, umilaw po ng kulay dilaw 'yung kotse, may nakaupo pong bata doon na naiwan sa likod," he said.

"Tapos hindi ko po ma-identify kung anong edad, basta maliit lang po 'yung bata," he added.

Arnaiz was last seen with 14-year-old Reynaldo "Kulot" De Guzman, who was reported missing after the shooting incident.

PAO believes that Arnaiz was killed in the "primary crime scene" indicated by Joe, and only later brought to the crime scene identified by the Caloocan City police, which PAO chief Persida Acosta called the "secondary crime scene."

"Buo na ang puzzle," Acosta told GMA. "Oh di ito 'yung primary crime scene. Dahil sa findings ng ating forensic experts, secondary crime scene lang 'yun."

PAO forensic expert Dr. Erwin Erfe said they found indications in the grass that supported their witness' claims.

"Mukhang 'yun makikita mo naman disturbed 'yung vegetation doon sa area na tinuro noong witness," Erfe said.

Joe remains in PAO's protective custody amid the ongoing investigation into Arnaiz's death. — Margaret Claire Layug/BM, GMA News