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A commotion reportedly ensued at a Catholic bishop’s residence at San Roque Cathedral in Caloocan city Saturday night after the father of a witness to Kian Delos Santos' killing met with his family at the cathedral then asked the church official to take him under its custody.

Speaking to members of the media at about midnight, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said the father of the 13-year-old female witness, went to his residence with representatives of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).

David said the father initially asked the bishop to give to the CIDG and VACC custody of his daughter and 4 other children, who sought refuge in the church following the witness' appearance at Senate hearings on Delos Santos' killing.

The father had presented to David what the bishop called a "strongly worded letter" reprimanding the bishop for supposedly overstepping his bounds and taking custody of his family even though he was not a relative.

The bishop said he was already set to transfer custody of the children when they asked for a moment alone with their father. When they were done talking, the father had a change of heart and was now asking David if he could instead remain and be with his children.

"Pero finally nagdesisyon pa rin iyong tatay. 'Mas gusto ko sa simbahan,' ang sabi niya. Kaya ang sabi ko mag-execute ho kayo ng isang statement, kayo ho ang magsulat mismo. Sabihin niyo ang hinihiling ninyo," David told reporters.

"Nag-execute siya ng statement at sinasabi nga niya na, 'Humihiling po ako na i-release na ako sa kustodiya ng CIDG at nais kong magpasailalim sa kustodiya ng simabahan sa ilalim ni Bishop Pablo David.' Iyon ang kanyang statement."

But David said the CIDG insisted on retaining custody of the father, causing a commotion. The bishop added that the children became frightened with authorities when they tried to take back their father.

After about two hours, with the help of the VACC, the authorities allowed the father to remain inside the church grounds then left.

David said the father, who was an admitted drug dependent, told the bishop he wanted to be rehabilitated.

David said only one child witnessed Delos Santos' killing.

Delos Santos was killed in mid-August during a police operation in which authorities said he fought police officers during a buy-bust operation and was killed.

His killing has drawn outrage over the government's war on illegal drugs, prompting calls for action against the suspects and an end to so-called extrajudicial killings.

The 13-year-old witness was one of those called to the Senate to testify that Delos Santos was taken forcibly before being shot deliberately, a contrast to the police report.

In the midnight press conference, David acknowledged the reality of police encounters ending up in crossfires with armed suspects, but called on law enforcers to draw the line with the killing of defenseless civilians.

— Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News

(Editor's note: ABS-CBN is not naming the father of the witness to the killing of Kian delos Santos to protect the minor's identity.)