By AARON RECUENCO, LIEZLE IÑIGO
A police sergeant whose cold-bloodied murder of a mother and son in Paniqui town of Tarlac late Sunday afternoon went viral in social media surrendered to Rosales Police Station in Pangasinan an hour after the shooting.
A report reaching Camp Crame in Quezon City identified the suspect as Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca, 46, detailed at the Crime Laboratory based in Parañaque City.
“The said suspect surrendered at their station (Rosales Municipal Police Station) with his issued firearm Beretta 9 mm which was used by the suspect in the commission of the crime,” the report read.
Based on the report, Nuezca shot dead 52-year-old Sonya Gregorio and her 25-year-old son Frank Anthony Gregorio. Both are residents of Purok 2, in Barangay Cabayaoasan in Paniqui town at around 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The two victims died on the spot due to bullet wounds in the head.
Based on the viral video, Nuezca was seen taking custody of the younger Gregorio apparently in front of the victim’s house. He mentioned that he was placing Gregorio under arrest and just waiting for the barangay officials to come.
The same video showed that the younger Gregorio was being restrained by her mother while other people around were pacifying him.
The shooting erupted when the daughter of the policeman figured in an argument with the elder Gregorio. The cop’s daughter was seen yelling at the old woman that her father is a policeman.
The police sergeant appeared to get annoyed when Sonya yelled back at the cop’s daughter. A few seconds later, the cop shot Sonya in the head at close range. He also did the same to her son.
Nuezca still shot the Sonya in the head after she fell on the ground.
Based on the report, Nuezca surrendered at 6:19 p.m., or a little over an hour after the shooting. He was later fetched by personnel from the Paniqui Police station.
Meantime, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Monday strongly condemned the killing of two unarmed civilians and called for the government to put a stop to the culture of impunity in the country.
CHR spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia said that the “brazen, senseless killing” of civilians deserves their strongest condemnation.
“While investigations continue to ascertain the reason for the altercation, no one deserves to be deprived of their life at whim,” she said.
De Guia added that the police force is expected to be disciplined, discerning, and professional. It is disheartening whenever the police force do not adhere to their motto of “To Serve and Protect.”
“Each and every police is expected to protect our rights. As such, it is unacceptable when they are the ones being at the forefront of perpetuating such human rights violations,” she said.
The CHR said that the shooting incident highlights the need for the government to conduct widespread investigations on every allegation of arbitrary killing.
“The promises made by the government to fulfill its human rights obligations must translate to actual results – in this case, improvements of the situation on the ground,” the CHR said
De Guia lamented, however, that Filipinos have only seen cases of death after death after death. (with a report from Czarina Nicole Ong)
