Cop regrets shooting a mother and son in Tarlac, says police official

MANILA, Philippines — The police officer who shot to death a mother and her son in Paniqui, Tarlac on Sunday has regretted he had committed such a crime, according to a police official.

Lt. Col. Noriel Rombaoa, chief of Paniqui Municipal Police Station, said he had personally spoken with Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca after the latter surrendered to police on Sunday night.

“Nakausap ko na po at aminado naman siya na nagawa nya yung pangyayaring iyon at sising-sisi siya sa nagawa niyang iyon (I spoke with him and he admitted to the crime and he said he regrets that he did it),” Rombaoa said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer.

Rombaoa said Nuezca shot 52-year-old Sonya Gregorio and her 25-year-old son Frank Anthony Gregorio after they engaged in a heated argument over firing a “boga,” a noisemaker usually made of PVC pipe or bamboo for revelries.

“Magkapitbahay po kasi itong suspect natin at biktima kung saan kahapon may narinig itong suspect natin na nagpapaputok ng boga. So nagresponde sya and then pagresponde nya nagkasagutan sila nitong isang biktima, itong si Frank Anthony Gregorio,” he narrated.

(The suspect and victims are neighbors. The suspect responded when he heard a blast from a “boga” and then saw one of the victims named Frank Anthony Gregorio.)

“Inaawat naman nitong si Sonya yung anak nya. Then dumating sa punto na yung anak ng pulis ay nagkasagutan sila nitong matandang babae and doon na nagdilim ang paningin siguro ng suspect at binaril nya itong dalawang biktima,” he added.

(Sonya was trying to pacify her son. Then it came to a point when the policeman’s child also engaged in a heated argument with the older woman. That’s when the suspect became too angry and shot the two victims.)

Rombaoa said the suspect told him that the elder victim also pulled the hair of his child.

“According to him sinabunutan daw ng matanda ‘yung anak niya pero wala naman kaming nakita doon, basta nagkasagutan lang sila,” added Rombaoa.

(According to him, the older woman pulled his child’s hair, but we did not see it; they were just arguing.)

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año assured that criminal and administrative complaints would be filed against the suspect over the shooting incident. [ac]