Robredo: We are bound to condemn senseless murders after gruesome Tarlac shooting

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday condemned thousands of senseless killings of innocent people in the country following the fatal shooting of Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank in Tarlac.

“May those who wish to downplay what happened by creating discord among us never succeed in stripping us of our humanity. May we find anchorage in our common human response to these deaths: Kinilabutan tayo, nabasag ang puso natin, mali ito. (We were terrified, our hearts were broken, this is wrong),” said Robredo, reacting to the viral video showing a Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, who shot Sonya and Frank at their Tarlac residence.

“We are bound in horror, grief, and empathy for Sonya and Frank Gregorio, as we are bound in condemnation of their senseless murders and of the murders of so many innocents over the past years,” the vice president added.

Robredo also lamented that Nuezca continued his job at the police force despite facing some administrative cases.

“There will be those who will lay all blame on the person who pulled the trigger as if he were not part of a larger architecture of impunity. Despite a clear pattern of brutality and a string of cases that made his propensity for violence apparent, the leadership allowed him to remain in service: May tsapa, may baril,” said Robredo.

“Para ilayo ang usapan sa mas malalaking istruktura, tanong, at pananagutan, mayroon ding lilikha ng tunggalian sa pagitan ng pulis at mamamayan. Pipilitin nila tayong magdebate pa. They will use this incident, as they have many other incidents before, to divide us,” she further said.

(There could be possible rivalry brewing between the police and the public. They will be forced to create debates regarding this incident.)

Likewise, the vice president said she would support promoting human rights awareness among the police force and call for justice for the Tarlac shooting victims.

The Tarlac Prosecutor’s Office earlier found probable cause to indict Nuezca for two counts of murder over the killing of Sonya and Frank Gregorio. [ac]