DAVAO CITY — The Tarlac shooting that killed a mother and her son is an isolated incident that won’t be tolerated, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said on Monday as he reminded all uniformed personnel of the police force to perform their duties in accordance with the law.
“Do your duty, enforce the law. Your actions must be in accordance with the law. You do not follow the law, mag-salvage ka, magpatay ka diyan, then I’m sorry, that is not part of the agreement of how we should do our work,” President Duterte said in his weekly public address.
“Kayong mga pulis ha, mahal ko kayo kasi nagta-trabaho kayo. Nakita naman ninyo kung gaano ko kayo kamahal. I went to the extent of going to Jolo to just pay homage to the bravery of our policemen and soldiers.”
The brutal shooting is an isolated case carried out by a police officer who was not in his right frame of mind, the President said, wondering how the cop was able to pass the Philippine National Police’s neuro-psychiatric screening process.
“Baka hindi ninyo talaga nakuha ha pero I don’t think that… Isa lang itong klaseng pulis na ‘to. May sakit ito sa utak. Topak. And I was wondering why he was able to — nakalusot sa neuro. You could detect a person by the way he answers in a — ‘yung mga tests sa neuro,” he said.
President Duterte said he was shocked by the gruesome killings that went viral on social media, telling the PNP leadership not to allow the perpetrator, Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca, to be released [from prison].
“He should not be allowed to go out kasi serious offense ‘yan. There’s no bail. So hindi maka-bail ‘yan. Diretso-diretso na ‘yan,” he said.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año’s told the President that Nuezca, already underwent inquest proceedings at the Tarlac Provincial Prosecutors Office and was charged with two counts of murder filed at Regional Trial Court Branch 67.
Nuezca, who shot to death Sonya Gregorio, 52, and her son Frank Anthony, 25, is now under the custody of the Paniqui, Tarlac police office. The PNP is also readying an administrative case against him.
Año assured the President that justice will be served and the PNP leadership will not tolerate such violent act that tarnishes the image of the police in the midst of a pandemic. Newsline.ph
