ILOILO City – Western Visayas policemen were reminded to perform according to their sworn responsibility and conduct themselves in a manner befitting their position as agents of the law.
“They should act with discernment, control their emotion and apply maximum tolerance,” said Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), in reaction to the grisly killing of an unarmed mother and her son by an off-duty policeman in Paniqui, Tarlac province on Sunday.
For his part, Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon described the crime as “pure evil.”
“That devil who committed an evil act…deserves to rot in jail,” said the Senate minority leader.
Miranda assured the public that what happened in Tarlac was an “isolated” case.
“Alam ko hindi ito gagawin ng mga police personnel natin dito,” Miranda told Panay News yesterday.
On Sunday, Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca fatally shot at close range neighbors Sonya Gregorio, 52, and her son Frank Anthony, 25, after a confrontation over the firing of a boga, a noisemaker usually made of PVC pipe or bamboo for revelries.
Miranda said the PRO-6 does not and will never condone any criminal act of police officers.
The Tarlac shooting was captured on video and went viral on social media. The policeman can be seen with his young daughter in a heated discussion with an unarmed Frank Anthony, whose mother was holding him back.
Nuezca’s daughter pointed out that “my father is a policeman,” to which Sonya replied she did not care.
An enraged Nuezca threatened to kill Sonya before shooting her pointblank in the head, then proceeded to shoot Frank Anthony twice before firing at Sonya once again who was already on the ground.
The killing provoked a wave of outrage directed at the government and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for supposedly tolerating if not espousing impunity. It also dominated the top Twitter trends on Monday with netizens using hashtags #StopTheKillingsPH and #JusticeForSonyaGregorio.
‘TRIGGER-HAPPY COP’
According to Drilon, Nuezca “should spend Christmas and a lifetime in jail” for the “unspeakable act.”
But he added that “so long as the culture of impunity exists in the country, and when there is a system that rewards misdeeds instead of punishing them, police abuses and violence will continue.”
“Impunity breeds trigger-happy cops,” said Drilon.
In a separate statement, Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Iloilo Police Provincial Office director, called the incident “unfortunate” and stressed that the use firearm should be the policemen’s last resort.
“Whenyour life is not in danger, do not use your gun. No one is above the law,” said Gorero.
An hour after the incident, Nuezca, who was assigned at the Parañaque City Crime laboratory, surrendered at the Rosales, Pangasinan municipal police station.
He also turned over his government-issued 9mm semi-automatic pistol used in the crime.
Nuezca refused to say anything except he regretted shooting the two victims. He faces a double murder charge.
Nuezca was previously charged with grave misconduct and homicide in May and December last year. However, these cases were dismissed due to lack of substantial evidence.
TRANSGRESSIONS
Other senators lambasted the killing, too.
Sen. Nancy Binay questioned what the leadership of the PNP was doing to address what she said has been “a long list of transgressions” by the police.
Likewise, the senator called for a need to introduce structural and internal reforms, particularly in implementing stricter accountability for erring cops.
Binay also pointed out that “something is deeply wrong when you have both top cops and rank-and-file who flout the law.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros slammed the shooting incident, saying that “[t]hese rogues act like they are judge, jury and executioner.”
“It’s time to remove this trick mirror that makes these police think they are all-powerful and untouchable. Nasa ilalim din sila ng batas (They are bound by law). These rogues act like they are judge, jury and executioner. They are not. Binabastos nila ang batas (They’re disobeying the law),” Hontiveros said in a tweet.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former PNP chief, earlier urged the police force to “show no mercy” to Nuezca./PN
