MANILA, Philippines — People who saw the killing of Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank in Tarlac will be assisted by the police to avail themselves of the justice department’s witness protection program (WPP), Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Debold Sinas said Tuesday.
“We encouraged yung investigators na lahat ng witness po doon ay i-apply po namin sa witness protection program. So we will be coordinating with DOJ [Department of Justice] baka i-consider nila because of gravity of the offense, kasi double murder,” Sinas told reporters in an ambush interview at Paniqui, Tarlac.
(We encouraged investigators that all witnesses will apply for WPP. So we will be coordinating with the DOJ and they might consider because of the gravity of offense because it is [two counts of murder].)
The nation’s top cop also said that the PNP would ask permission from witnesses to use the original video as evidence in the murder case filed against Parañaque police officer Jonel Nuezca.
Nuezca shot dead the Gregorios following a heated argument outside the victims’ house in Paniqui, Tarlc.
“We will make representations para yung mga witness natin lalo na yung kumuha ng video at yung may-ari ng cellphone na baka makumbinse ko ngayong gabi mabigyan ng consent para magamit ang video as evidence,” said Sinas.
(We will make representations so that our witnesses, especially the one who took the video and who owns the cellphone and then maybe I can convince them to use the video as evidence.)
“Kapag hindi magbigay ng consent at hindi original [na copy] mahihirapan sa korte,” he further said.
(It will be difficult for us to prove the case in court if we do not get the original copy.)
A case for two counts of murder was filed against Nuezca at the Regional Trial Court ng Branch 67 ng Paniqui, Tarlac.
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