PNP Obtains Original Video Of Grisly Shooting In Tarlac; Sinas Says Sorry To Gregorio Family

Police investigators have obtained the original copy of the video that captured the Dec. 20 grisly shooting of Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony by Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca in Paniqui, Tarlac.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas disclosed this on Thursday, Dec. 24. He said the probers already have in their possession the cell phone of the 12-year-old boy who managed to take a video footage of the incident.

The cell phone was submitted on Wednesday, Dec. 23, by the 12-year-old boy, who sent a copy of the video to his relative, a 16-year-old girl.

The two minors, who were both present at the scene of the shooting, gave their consent with the guidance of their parents, and have submitted their affidavits. Sinas said the parents and their children agreed to help the police after they were assured of protection.

“Nakumbinsi 'yung mga parents at mga bata na tulungan kami kapalit sa pag-alaga sa security nila,” Sinas said in a Laging Handa briefing.

According to Sinas, the cell phone is now with the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) for forensic examination.

With the original video now in their possession and consent from the minors, Sinas expressed confidence that they already have an airtight case against Nuezca who is facing two counts of murder.

“Nakuhanan na po ng consent affidavits kasama ang mga magulang na notarized at bibigyan na po ang prosecutor. Ito ay lalong nagpapatibay sa kaso namin,” the PNP chief said.

Sinas, meanwhile, denied he dissuaded people from taking videos of policemen involved in similar incidents.

Sinas explained he only wants people who witness crimes to take extra precaution in taking videos so as not to put their lives at risk.

“Ang sabi ko maganda nga 'yun pero 'yung kumuha ingatan din po 'niya ‘yung safety niya,” he said.

Sinas says sorry

Sinas also disclosed that he apologized to the family of the slain victims when he visited their wake in Tarlac on Tuesday night, Dec. 22.

“Pumunta po ako doon para makiramay at of course maghingi ng sorry sa nangyari sa kanila,” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

Sinas also updated the Gregorio clan on the progress of the investigation and promised that Nuezca will be made accountable for the killings. He also gave financial assistance, which he insisted is not for a settlement of the case.

“We will not compromise. Tuloy po ang kaso at dismissal kay Nuezca,” he assured the public.

The PNP has cut off Nuezca's salary in the wake of the shooting, which tarnished the reputation of the police force in the eyes of the public, Sinas said.

Following the public indignation, Sinas is seeking additional powers so that he can swiftly penalize police officers like Nuezca who have committed serious infractions.

Sinas expressed support for the proposal of former PNP chief and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa seeking amendments to Republic Act No. 8551 or the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act and giving more authority to the country's top cop to impose sanctions against erring policemen.

“Kung puwede iklian o bigyan ng mas magandang pag-aaral 'yung authority po ng chief PNP to imediately dismiss 'yung mga pulis na gumawa po ng kalokohan kagaya nito kay Nuezca,” he said.

If he had his way, Sinas wants to immediately kick Nuezca out of the service as the video of the shooting and other pieces of evidence against him are strong. However, they are bound by the procedures within the organization giving due process to police misfits.

Sinas lamented that an outright dismissal could lead to repercussions in the future as Nuezca could win an appeal due to technicality.

“Kung merong insidente kagaya nitong kay Nuezca ay right there mag-decide ang chief PNP to dismiss him, strip him or everything para matanggal po kaagad siya sa serbisyo,” he said.

On the call of Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez for him to institute reforms  in the organization or resign, Sinas said he has been firm in his stand against erring police officers.

He pointed out he dismissed from the service 84 PNP members accused of grave offenses since he became PNP chief last November.

Sinas dismissed 778 police officers when he was Metro Manila chief and 200 in Central Visayas when he was the region's police director.

“Tutulong ako sa pulis kapag gumawa ka ng tama pero ako ang unang didiin at mag-di-dismiss sa iyo kung mali 'yung ginawa mo,” he said.

Sinas has been under fire for holding a birthday party in May while the country is under community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. He was also accused of being behind the killings in Central Visayas when he was assigned there.

Nuezca expresses remorse

Nuezca is appealing for help for his family. He made the plea as his wife and daughter are now on their own.

“Sana matulungan niyo po ako sir, para sa pamilya ko na lang po,” he told Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon during a meeting aired over ABS-CBN News on Wednesday night.

Nuezca expressed remorse for killing his neighbors Sonya Frank Anthony following a heated confrontation.

“Inaamin ko na po 'yung pagkakamali ko, nadala po ako ng sobrang emosyon. Nagsisisi po ako sa ginawa ko,” he told De Leon.

De Leon gave Nuezca a dressing down over the killings, which tainted the reputation of the entire police force.

“Tatanggalin ka talaga namin sa serbisyo. You dragged the entire organization,” De Leon fumed.

Nuezca was sacked from his post as a member of the Paranaque City Police Crime Laboratory and placed on floating status at the National Capital Region Police Office  personnel holding and accounting unit.

The policeman's wife and daughter have since moved out of Paniqui and transferred to an undisclosed location for their protection, Sinas said.

Body cameras

Ranking lawmakers have again pushed for passage of a law requiring use of a body camera during police operations following the Tarlac incident.

Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon and Parañaque City Rep. Joy Myra Tambunting    renewed their push for passage of House Bill No. 32 or the proposed Body Camera Act, which aims to either provide evidence to hold erring law enforcers accountable for their misdeeds or help disprove false accusations made against police officers.

They stressed that such reform is necessary following the deaths of Sonya and Frank Anthony.

“This may be indicative of reforms that should be done in police procedures to ensure that evidence during police operations is gathered to establish innocence or probable cause for a case to stand trial,” Biazon said.

Biazon, vice chair of House national defense and security committee, cited Nuezca’s records showing the policeman’s history of offenses including two grave misconduct and homicide cases that were both dismissed for lack of substantial evidence.

The lawmaker believes that such cases would have been resolved credibly with the proposed measure.

“Although it took years of reluctance and even a procurement corruption controversy before the PNP decided to implement the use of body (cameras), we now look forward to police operations where any abuse of law enforcement will have video-recorded evidence, which can be used to hold erring policemen accountable,” Biazon said.

“On the other hand, false accusations against law enforcers will be easily disproved as the recordings from cameras worn by the police personnel will show the step-by-step actions they take in operations,” he added.

Tambunting, vice chair of information and communications technology committee, also pushed for the body camera bill.

“In the pursuit of preventing tragedies like this in the future, I am in support of the necessary measures that need to be taken in order to ensure justice. This includes the implementation of body cameras in order to ensure transparency in the implementation of justice. This includes more extensive sensitivity training in dealing with volatile situations,” Tambunting said in a statement.

HB 32 seeks the mandatory use of body cameras by policemen during operations to prevent abuses in their authority.

It prohibits law enforcers from deactivating body cameras during police operations as the camera can only be turned off once an encounter has already finished or the authorities have already left the scene.

The measure also seeks for the storage and archiving of video footage for at least three years from the time it was captured.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana recently said the purchase of body cameras is still in “process.”

It can be recalled that the calls for the need for body cameras among policemen arose after the murder of teenager Kian Delos Santos during a supposed anti-drug operation in Caloocan City in 2017. – With Edu Punay