A police sergeant whose cold-bloodied murder of a mother and her son in Paniqui, Tarlac, late Sunday afternoon which has gone viral in social media surrendered to the local police an hour after the shooting incident.
A report reaching Camp Crame in Quezon City identified the suspect as Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca, 46, who is assigned 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 with Serial Number M178132 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.
In the viral video, Nuezca is seen taking custody of the younger Gregorio apparently in front of the victim’s house. He was saying that he was placing Gregorio under arrest and just waiting for the barangay officials to come.
The video showed the younger Gregorio being restrained by her mother while other people were pacifying him.
The shooting happened 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 and saying that her father is a policeman.
The police sergeant appeared to get annoyed when the older Gregorio yelled back at his daughter. A few seconds later, the cop shot Sonya in the head at close range. He also did the same to her son.
Nuezca continued to shoot Sonya in the head even after she fell to the ground.
Show no mercy
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said the Philippine National Police should show no mercy on Nuezca.
“He's the last policeman that they need in the force,’’ Lacson, chairman of the Senate national defense committee and former chief of the PNP said.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) strongly condemned the killing of unarmed civilians.
CHR Spokesperson lawyer Jacqueline Ann de Guia said 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.
"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 added.
The CHR appealed to the public to act with caution in circulating the video and protect the best interest of the child.
"Vilifying the minor publicly, even posting the child's name and photos may inflict irreparable trauma that might worsen this situation. Let proper interventions deal with the child's situation separately," she said.
PNP Chief Gen. Debold Sinas said Nuezca had earlier been charged with two homicide cases which were dismissed last year for lack of evidence.
“This time, the evidence is very strong against him that is why he was already under our custody and will be charged,” said Sinas. (With reports
from Jeffrey Damicog, Hannah L. Torregoza, Mario B. Casayuran, and Czarina Nicole Ong Ki).