The editorial desk has received testimony from a family deeply affected by the fatal incident that recently occurred in Pos Abao, where a Respaldo patient lost his life following an intervention involving the FACT Team and the police. According to the family, the incident has “another side of the story” which, in their view, deserves to be known and investigated more thoroughly.
Stecey Sevinger, a relative of the deceased F.H. (Franklin Henriquez), shared the family’s story. According to their statement, on January 27, 2026, Franklin was allowed to return home after contact with Respaldo and arrived home happy to spend time with his mother. Later that day, Respaldo returned to his home to indicate that an administrative error had been made and that he should not have been released without a doctor’s signature.
The family states that Franklin was afraid of the police, a fact known to his mother and a niece who were present at the time. According to the family, they requested that the police keep the situation calm and allow time to manage it peacefully. However, the situation escalated, and Franklin was fatally shot after police used their service weapon.
The family describes Franklin as a peaceful, cheerful, and deeply loved person within his family circle, who enjoyed singing and communicating via social media. They express deep sadness and anger and are calling for transparency and a complete, independent investigation into the case.
Authorities previously confirmed that the incident is under investigation by the Landsrecherche, given that a police officer was involved. To date, no official conclusions have been made public regarding the use of the service weapon or the handling of the situation.
The family indicates that they place their trust in God and hope that the full truth about what happened will come to light.
Beyond this specific case, there is also widespread concern within the community regarding the overall state of the Aruba Police Force (KPA), with calls for greater clarity regarding management, leadership, accountability, and internal control within the organization, as well as the role of political and parliamentary oversight.
Given this scenario, questions arise about how KPA should be viewed as a whole: ongoing traffic issues, laws that are not properly enforced, inconsistent road controls, a shortage of police officers without clear solutions, and doubts about whether there is effective management within KPA. What is KPA’s plan and direction? Who is responsible for actual management? Beyond promotions surrounded by rumors and controversies, who is accountable? What concrete actions have truly been taken to improve KPA? Is there a structured and effective management system to support and protect the community?
While the minister is ultimately responsible, who is responsible for daily management that the minister must approve? Is this the minister’s role, or that of KPA’s internal leadership and the Police Chief? Who defines the direction presented to the minister? Is this truly the path KPA intends to follow? Has proper management been implemented, and by whom? Does KPA’s management team genuinely function, or is it merely an inner circle? Have the heads of KPA truly fulfilled their responsibilities over the years?
Is there even one parliamentarian who has genuinely examined what is happening and asked the right questions? Where is Aruba heading? Is Aruba truly safe, or does it only appear so on the surface while reality tells a different story?
