Court convicts cop for murder of mother and son in Tarlac province

A REGIONAL trial court in Tarlac on Thursday convicted a former policeman for the murder of a mother and her son last year.

The court sentenced ex-Staff Sergeant Jonel Nuezca to a jail term of 40 years for each count of murder. It also ordered the convict to pay the heirs of Sonya and Frank Anthony R. Gregorio P952,560 in damages.

“A ‘shoot first, think later’ disposition occupies no decent place in a civilized society,” Judge Stella Marie Q. Gandia-Asuncion said in an 18-page decision dated Aug. 26. “Never has homicide or murder been a function of law enforcement.”

The judge said the attack on the victims, whom the former cop shot and killed over an argument, was “treacherous” because it was “so swift and sudden that the victims were not able to defend themselves.”

The shooting that took place in Paniqui, Tarlac in December was recorded on video and posted on social media. The video became viral and people criticized the police for it.

The video showed the ex-policeman and his daughter in a heated argument with Ms. Gregorio and her son over their fireworks.

The policeman was seen with his young daughter in a heated discussion with Frank Anthony, whose mother was holding him back.

The ex-cop’s daughter shouted “My father is a policeman,” and the ex-cop was heard threatening to kill them. He then shot and killed the mother in the head, then proceeded to shoot Frank Anthony twice, before firing at Sonya once again while she was already on the ground.

Mr. Nuezca was fired from his job, and it was later found out that he had been demoted in October for robbery and extortion in 2014. —

Bianca Angelica D. Añago