‘Isang bugok lang ‘yan’, Palace says of cop in Tarlac shooting as police abuse linked to Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday rejected claims that police abuse was instigated by President Rodrigo Duterte’s support to the police force following the killing of a mother and son in Tarlac by a cop, saying that the incident was just an “isolated case.”
“Isang bugok lang po iyang pulis na iyan. Hindi naman po lahat ng pulis ay gaya niya,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised press briefing.
(That cop is just a crook. Not all policemen are like him.)
Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca shot Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank on Sunday outside their house in Paniqui, Tarlac, after a heated confrontation.
The shooting incident was captured on video and has gone viral on various social media platforms with the hashtags #StopTheKillingsPH, #JusticeForSonyaGregorio, #EndPoliceBrutality, and #PulisAngTerorista.
‘Kill in the line of duty’
Netizens raised concerns that police are being emboldened to resort to unnecessary use of force and violence due to Duterte’s repeated expression of support. In his speeches, the President has been assuring law enforcers of protection as long as they kill in the line of duty or when their lives were put in harm’s way.
Roque said the Palace condemns the incident and that Nuezca would not receive protection from Duterte.
Tarlac police chief Police Colonel Renante Cabico reportedly said that Nuezca was off-duty when the incident happened. He was still carrying his permanent-issued short firearm because of an order from Duterte.
But Roque said the President’s order could not be used as justification in the police officer’s “criminal act.”
“Siyempre po ang baril ay para sa proteksyon ng ating kapulisan. Hindi po iyan para gamitin laban sa kanilang mga personal na kaaway,” he said.
The Duterte administration has been riddled with accusations of human rights violations, particularly through its brutal war on drugs, which, according to government data, has claimed the lives of nearly 6,000 drug suspects. However, human rights advocates argue that the number of deaths reached at least 27,000, including vigilante-style killings that were not considered part of legitimate operations.[ac]
