MANILA, Philippines — Smarting from criticisms brought by the brazen murder of an elder woman and her son by a police officer in Tarlac, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is calling on the public not to overlook the “heroic acts” of other police personnel.
Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca shot dead Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank on Sunday right outside their house in Paniqui, Tarlac after a heated confrontation.
The shooting incident was captured on video which has gone viral on various social media platforms, with hashtags linked to police abuse such as #StopTheKillingsPH, #JusticeForSonyaGregorio, and #EndPoliceBrutality.
But PNP spokesman Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana said the incident should not overshadow the PNP’s good deeds.
“Ginagalang po namin lahat ng nagiging akusasyon dahil kay Nuezca pero tingnan din po natin iyong napakaraming magagandang halimbawa na nai-share na po ng ating kapulisan,” Usana said Tuesday in a televised Laging Handa Public Briefing.
“Hindi na po mabilang ito. Siguro naman magiging fair and just din na bigyan-pansin iyong mga heroic acts ng ating kapulisan over this particular case of Nuezca,” he added.
Malacañang has vowed to deliver justice over the killings and assured that President Duterte will not protect Nuezca.
The incident once again sparked public outrage over the thousands of police killings in the country since Duterte was elected in 2016.
Government data shows that nearly 6,000 drug suspects were killed in Duterte’s brutal war on drugs. 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.