Philippines Calls For Police Reform After Officer Kills Mother And Son At Point Blank Range

On December 21st, a video of an off-duty police officer shooting a woman and her adult son at point-blank range in the Philippines went viral on social media, reviving calls for police reform. The local police chief has declared that Jonel Nuezca has turned himself in and admitted to the double homicide of his unarmed neighbours Sonya Gregario, 52, and her son Frank Gregario, 25, following a noise complaint.

The video shows Mr. Nuezca and his daughter arguing and attempting to arrest Mr. Gregario over the firing of a boga (an improvised bamboo cannon frequently used for New Year’s celebration). Ms. Gregario tightly embraces her son, pleading for him not to be taken away. With no sign of hesitation, Mr. Nuezca puts a bullet in each of his neighbours’ heads, in broad daylight, under bystanders’ terrified eyes.

The Filipino government has condemned Mr. Nuezca and promised to investigate this tragedy. President Rodrigo Duterte publicly declared that these “too brutal” shootings were orchestrated by a “lunatic cop.” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año described the incident as “unfortunate but isolated.”

Despite these statements, this double murder is neither an outlying case or the wrongdoings of a madman. In truth, it reflects the lawlessness of Philippines’ National Police (P.N.P.). Human rights groups and opposition leaders have underlined the culture of violence which allows law enforcers to act with impunity. This culture “create[s] monsters in our midst ready to go berserk anytime, anywhere,” said Edre Olalia, head of National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers. Moreover, the International Criminal Court has a “reasonable basis to believe” that the P.N.P. has been committing crimes against humanity, in connection with Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.

Since President Duterte took office in 2016, the United Nations reports that police have committed over 8,000 murders as a result of high-level rhetoric that gave “permission to kill.” Indeed, as part of his campaign against illegal drugs, Duterte encourages police officers to shoot anyone suspected to be connected to the drug trade. Amnesty International suggests this implies that these officers will not be charged. However, police have shot unarmed and compliant criminals, and cases of mistaken identity have killed people unconnected to the drug trade at all. Amnesty International also reports that police have allowed prisoners to die in custody, tampered with evidence, and killed for financial profit.

The difference between this particular incident and other extrajudicial killings is that the viral footage left no question of the perpetrator’s guilt. As President Duterte said, prosecution cannot be avoided when the aggression was “captured on TV.” Mr. Nuezca has five previous administrative charges, including two murders, that were dismissed due to lack of evidence. How many other police officers’ unlawful killings have been swept under the carpet because they weren’t “captured on TV?”

Ultimately, no neighbourly dispute should end in murder. The fault should be put, not only on Mr. Nuezca for acting inhumanly, but also on the structure and institutions which allowed the killings to happen.

Like countless other incidents in the Philippines, the Gregarios’ execution is the product of an environment which gives police impunity to grant death. Citizens’ security is jeopardized when law enforcement is encouraged to act outside the rule of law – when those who are meant to protect instead cause harm. The P.N.P. must stop this malpractice. Re-examining policies regarding off-duty policemen’s access to firearms would be a good place to start.

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