MANILA, Philippines — Several lawmakers in the House of Representatives are seeking an investigation into the gruesome police shooting of a mother and her son in Paniqui town in Tarlac.
Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, whose grandmother was a teacher in Paniqui, said that the incident “points to a systemic problem in how we prepare and evaluate those who police our citizens.”
Quimbo was referring to the deaths of Sonia Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony who were both shot by Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca.
“This morning, I filed a resolution to launch an inquiry on the PNP’s current standards for evaluating the tactical knowledge and mental fitness of all its uniformed personnel,” Quimbo said in a statement.
“The killings of both Sonya and Frank Gregorio are a symptom of lapses in our law enforcement,” the lawmaker added.
Quimbo said that Congress should determine what reforms are needed to ensure that PNP personnel are of sound body and mind in the performance of their duties, and assess whether it is time to prohibit policemen from carrying guns while off-duty.
“We cannot afford to lose more lives because of impunity in the system, or the policies which lend to unpreparedness or abuse by law enforcement officials, including the use of firearms while off duty. One death is one too many,” Quimbo said.
Aside from Quimbo, the Makabayan bloc also filed a resolution seeking an investigation on the shooting incident.
In their resolution, the Makabayan bloc said that the killings of the mother and son from Tarlac “highlight the continuing violence perpetrated by state armed forces against innocent civilians.”
“There is a need to put a stop to police brutality enabled by the culture of impunity plaguing our country,” the Makabayan bloc said.
“It is imperative for members of Congress, as representatives of our people, to defend the rights of our people and check on excesses and violations committed against them, especially in this time of crisis. Laws and rules should serve the interest of our people, and should not be weaponized to suppress their rights and oppress them,” they added.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, six senators likewise sought investigation on the series of “unlawful killings” of citizens—including the recent police shooting—with the end goal of “breaking the culture of impunity”, especially among law enforcement agencies.