The killing of a mother and son in Paniqui, Tarlac last Sunday reopens a debate about whether the Senate should approve a bill seeking to reinstate the death penalty for heinous crimes.

The call for a Senate decision was made by boxing icon and Senator Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, a death penalty advocate, following the daylight murder of Sonya Gregorio, 52, and her son, Frank Gregorio, 25, by Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca, 46.

’’Napaka-casual at tila walang bahid ng anumang pagdadalawang-isip ang nakita nating pamamaraan nitong si Nuezca nang kanyang paputukan ang mag-ina na wala namang kahit anumang sandata. Naisip niya siguro na mahina naman ang ating batas at kayang-kaya niyang pagdusahan sa kulungan ang kanyang ginawang karumal-dumal na krimen,’’ Pacquiao said. (Without batting an eyelash, Nuezca shot the mother and the son who are both unarmed. He was probably thinking that the law is weak and he could easily serve time in jail. That is why he did a very brutal act.)

‘’That’s the same mindset prompts criminals to carry out even the most heinous of crimes. Alam kasi ng mga kriminal at mga utak kriminal na makukulong lamang sila kapag gumawa sila ng karumal-dumal na krimen. Bigyan sana ulit natin ng pagkakataon itong death penalty dahil sa tingin ko, ito na lang ang kulang upang magiging mabilis at magiging epektibo ang ating pagbibigay ng hustisya sa ating kababayang biktima ng mga heinous crimes,’’ he stressed. (Criminals and law violators know that they could just serve time in jail even if they commit gruesome crimes. I hope the death penalty bill needs to be enacted into law as a fast and effective measure that would give justice to victims of heinous crimes.) 

‘’Gayunpaman, nanawagan ako sa ating mga kababayan: Huwag po nating husgahan ang ating buong PNP dahil sa ginawa ni Nuezca.  Naniniwala ako na mas marami pa ring matitinong pulis at itong si Nuezca ay isa lamang sa mangilan-ilang bulok sa kanilang organisasyon.,’’ he added. (I call upon our countrymen: Don’t condemn the whole police force for the act on Nuezca. I strongly believe that many in the Philippine National Police are upright and Nuezca is just one rotten egg.)

Sa halip na kamuhian ang ating mga pulis ay tulungan po natin sila upang maramdaman nila ang pagmamahal at pagkalinga ng mga mamamayang kanilang pinagsisilbihan. Ipakita natin ang ating tiwala nang sa ganun ay suklian nila ito na mas tapat na paglilingkod sa ating bayan,’’ he added. (Instead of condemning the police force, we should help the police so they would feel the love and care of Filipinos whom they serve. We should show them our trust so that they could repay us through their faithful service to the people.)