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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Taking videos of crime is not prohibited, but please, be careful --Sinas

Taking videos of crime is not prohibited, but please, be careful --Sinas

Published Dec 24, 2020 06:27 pm

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Debold Sinas clarified that he never said documenting criminal activity via photos or video was against the law.

Sinas had this to say during the Laging Handa press briefing Thursday, even as Police Staff Sergeant Jonel Nuezca's gruesome killing of a mother and her son in Paniqui, Tarlac continues to be a hot topic.

"Una, hindi ko po sinabi na bawal o huwag kumuha ng video. Ang sinabi ko po noon pa na mas maganda kumuha ng video para ma-document at i-submit sa pulis or ibigay para ebidensya. Ang sabi ko, mag-ingat (First, I didn't say that it's prohibited or told people not to take videos. What I've said even before was, it's better to have a video to be submitted to police for documentation and evidence. What I said was, be careful)," Sinas said.

A major reason why the killings continue to make headlines is the video of the incident, which captured in shocking detail how Nuezca murdered his neighbors Sonya Gregorio and her son and Frank Anthony Gregorio.

"Very brutal yung nangyari, double murder tapos yung kumuha niyan ay napakalapit. So ang sabi ko sana yung kumuha mag-ingat kasi baka siya ang balingan. Wala akong sinabi na hindi kukuha, mali po yun (What happened was very brutal, it was a double murder and the person who captured the video was very close to the action. So I said the person who took video should have been careful because of the danger. I never said that videos shouldn't be taken at all, that's wrong)," explained the PNP chief.

Sinas said he has since learned that two individuals took the now viral video. Both are minors--a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old.

Sinas narrated during the press briefing what he asked one of these two video-takers, who were just a few feet away from Nuezca.

"Tinanong ko siya bakit hindi siya tumakbo. Sabi niya sir nanginginig daw siya, natatakot. Hindi siya nakagalaw sa sobrang takot niya tapos ngayon tiningnan siya nung suspect (I asked why he didn't run. He said he couldn't run, he was frozen because of fear. He couldn't move and then the suspect even looked at him)."

"Buti hindi rin siya binaril at kinuha yung cellphone niya kasi kung ginawa niya yun kawawa naman po yung kamag-anak nun. So eto ang panawagan ko na sana na kung kumuha kayo, mag document kayo ng video siguraduhin niyo na safe din kayo para hindi kayo mapagbalingan ng mga suspect (It's a good thing the suspect didn't shoot him and take his cellphone away, because that would have left his relatives quite pitiful. So here's my appeal, if you're going to document or take a video then make sure that you are safe so as not to catch the suspects' ire)," Sinas said.

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