MANILA – Malacañang has assured that President Rodrigo Duterte will not protect the viral policeman in Paniqui, Tarlac who shot an unarmed mother and her son over a dispute on Sunday afternoon.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the double murder case of Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca will be treated as an ordinary murder case since it did not happen on an official duty.
“Kinokondena natin ang nangyari sa Tarlac. Ito ay tatratuhin na ordinaryong murder case. Hindi iyan poprotektahan ng Presidente,” Roque said in Monday’s virtual press conference.
“Bakit po poprotektahan ng Presidente ‘yan eh pribadong issue po ‘yan? Nagkataon lamang na pulis ang pumatay,” he added. “The policeman cannot cite as defense that he was carrying out his official duty. Paparusahan natin siya, no ifs, no buts.”
On Sunday afternoon, Nuezca shot Sonya Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony Gregorio, 25 several times following an argument over the latter’s use of an improvised cannon or “boga.”
As seen on the now-viral videos, the murders happened after Nuezca’s minor daughter was briefly mocked by Sonya. This triggered the policeman, who then shot dead the mother and her son.
The policeman, who is assigned at the Parañaque City police crime laboratory, was off-duty when the incident took place. He later surrendered to Paniqui police and will face double murder charges.
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año assured that justice will be served on the family of the victims saying Nuezca will be dismissed from service apart from being charged with double murder.
“Kitang-kita naman natin ito, ito ay isang blood murder. Kitang-kita sa video, hindi lumalaban ‘yong biktima. Hindi naman armado ang mag-ina. Talagang murder ito,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
“We don’t need this kind of policeman. Napakasimpleng bagay lang ‘yan para gamitan mo ng armas,” he added. “Walang justification para barilin mo in cold blood. Talagang point-blank pa ‘yong distansiya. Talagang kailangan bigyan natin ng hustisya.”
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Debold Sinas, for his part, assured the victims’ family that it “does not and will never condone any criminal act of our police officers.”
“The PNP considers this as an isolated involvement of the person of PSSg (Nuezca). In no way will such incident affect the sworn duty of the 221,000 police personnel to serve and protect our people,” Sinas said in a statement.
“Again, let me express my sincere condolences to the family of the victims, and I am extending to them any form of assistance within my power as chief PNP to appease their emotions in this unexpected time of grief,” he added./PN
