MANILA, Philippines – Netizens woke up to a viral video showing the killings of a mother and her son in the hands of a policeman who shot them at close range in the head, in front of his own daughter, at Barangay Cabayaoasan in Paniqui, Tarlac.
As angry netizens called for justice for the fatalities identified as Sonia Rufino Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony Rufino Gregorio, 25, hashtags #StopTheKillingsPH, #JusticeforSonyaGregorio, #EndPoliceBrutality, and #PulisAngTerorista quickly trended on Twitter.
#2ne1 also trended because the old woman’s last words were lyrics of the group’s song, “I don’t care eh eh eh eh eh” before she was shot dead by the policeman, Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Neuzca.
Celebrities also joined calls for justice.
“BAKIT KAILANGANG UMABOT DOON? Hindi ko kaya, grabe, Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko pero pwede bang barilin ka nalang din sa harap ng anak mo? Sorry Lord pero sobra kasi yun eh. Sobra yung ginawa niya. Hustisya para sa mag-inang Gregorio. #STOPTHEKILLINGS,” Maine Mendoza tweeted.
She also retweeted a netizen’s post showing a screenshot of the policeman’s Facebook profile with the name Jon Mon Nue; the policeman’s full name is Jonel Montales Nuezca.
“’Di’ dapat yan, hindi Jon. P*ta. #STOPTHEKILLINGSPH #EndPoliceBrutality,” Maine added, meaning that “Jon Mon Nue” should be “Di Mon Nue” or “demonyo”.
“Ang sakit sa puso. Napakaimmoral. #StopTheKillingsPH,” wrote Julie Ann San Jose.
“How inhumane can you be to take actual human lives like that so confidently for your own selfish reasons— IN FRONT OF YOUR OWN CHILD— LIKE IT’S NORMAL? This is what it has come to in our country. Sick. My father is a policeman my ass. #StopTheKillingsPH,” Janella Salvador tweeted.
Meanwhile, former Bayan Muna representative Teddy Casiño wrote, “If an ordinary cop can shoot ordinary civilians, who had done nothing wrong, in broad daylight in front of his daughter and many witnesses, imagine what they do in the dead of night, with no witnesses, to ordinary civilians tagged as enemies of the state? #StopTheKillings.”
“The killings in Tarlac are not isolated incidents but are part of a pattern of abuse and impunity among the police, enabled by the current regime. From the drug war, war on critics, to quarantine enforcement, we reap the horrors today. #StopTheKillingsPH #EndPoliceBrutality,” Renato Reyes, Jr. tweeted.
“Impunity. When the police think they can do anything, including shoot unarmed civilians at point blank, and when they show us how human life has very little value nowadays. #StopTheKillingsPH,” Renato added.
According to Lt. Col. Noriel Rombaoa, chief of Paniqui Police, the policeman has a long-standing altercation with the Rufino family over right of way issues. While the matter had already been resolved at the barangay, the new argument over the boga (improvised cannon) led to this.
“Parang nainsulto siguro hanggang nagkasagutan ang anak niya at ang matandang biktima. Siguro nawindang ang isip niya, dun niya pinaputukan ang mga biktima,” Rombaoa said.
He added, “Sa mga kasamahan po natin sa pulisya dapat self-control kasi nga maximum tolerance tayo, tayo ang may armas. Kung merong umaagrabiyado sa atin merong right forum po riyan, puwede nating kasuhan, not to the point na gagamitin natin ang baril natin.”
DILG Sec. Eduardo Año also issued a statement regarding the issue, “Talagang murder ito. We will make sure na mai-file itong kaso at... dapat matanggal sa serbisyo itong pulis na ito. We don't need this kind of policeman. Napakasimpleng bagay lang niyan para gamitan mo ng armas... Talagang kailangan hustisya. Bigyan natin ng hustisya sina Sonya Gregorio at Frank Anthony Gregorio.”
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
As angry netizens called for justice for the fatalities identified as Sonia Rufino Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony Rufino Gregorio, 25, hashtags #StopTheKillingsPH, #JusticeforSonyaGregorio, #EndPoliceBrutality, and #PulisAngTerorista quickly trended on Twitter.
#2ne1 also trended because the old woman’s last words were lyrics of the group’s song, “I don’t care eh eh eh eh eh” before she was shot dead by the policeman, Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Neuzca.
Celebrities also joined calls for justice.
“BAKIT KAILANGANG UMABOT DOON? Hindi ko kaya, grabe, Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko pero pwede bang barilin ka nalang din sa harap ng anak mo? Sorry Lord pero sobra kasi yun eh. Sobra yung ginawa niya. Hustisya para sa mag-inang Gregorio. #STOPTHEKILLINGS,” Maine Mendoza tweeted.
BAKIT KAILANGANG UMABOT DOON? 😢 "Sorry Lord pero sobra kasi yun eh. Sobra yung ginawa niya. Hustisya para sa mag-inang Gregorio," actress Maine Mendoza expressed.
Posted by The Summit Express on Sunday, December 20, 2020
She also retweeted a netizen’s post showing a screenshot of the policeman’s Facebook profile with the name Jon Mon Nue; the policeman’s full name is Jonel Montales Nuezca.
“’Di’ dapat yan, hindi Jon. P*ta. #STOPTHEKILLINGSPH #EndPoliceBrutality,” Maine added, meaning that “Jon Mon Nue” should be “Di Mon Nue” or “demonyo”.
“Ang sakit sa puso. Napakaimmoral. #StopTheKillingsPH,” wrote Julie Ann San Jose.
“How inhumane can you be to take actual human lives like that so confidently for your own selfish reasons— IN FRONT OF YOUR OWN CHILD— LIKE IT’S NORMAL? This is what it has come to in our country. Sick. My father is a policeman my ass. #StopTheKillingsPH,” Janella Salvador tweeted.
Meanwhile, former Bayan Muna representative Teddy Casiño wrote, “If an ordinary cop can shoot ordinary civilians, who had done nothing wrong, in broad daylight in front of his daughter and many witnesses, imagine what they do in the dead of night, with no witnesses, to ordinary civilians tagged as enemies of the state? #StopTheKillings.”
“The killings in Tarlac are not isolated incidents but are part of a pattern of abuse and impunity among the police, enabled by the current regime. From the drug war, war on critics, to quarantine enforcement, we reap the horrors today. #StopTheKillingsPH #EndPoliceBrutality,” Renato Reyes, Jr. tweeted.
“Impunity. When the police think they can do anything, including shoot unarmed civilians at point blank, and when they show us how human life has very little value nowadays. #StopTheKillingsPH,” Renato added.
According to Lt. Col. Noriel Rombaoa, chief of Paniqui Police, the policeman has a long-standing altercation with the Rufino family over right of way issues. While the matter had already been resolved at the barangay, the new argument over the boga (improvised cannon) led to this.
“Parang nainsulto siguro hanggang nagkasagutan ang anak niya at ang matandang biktima. Siguro nawindang ang isip niya, dun niya pinaputukan ang mga biktima,” Rombaoa said.
He added, “Sa mga kasamahan po natin sa pulisya dapat self-control kasi nga maximum tolerance tayo, tayo ang may armas. Kung merong umaagrabiyado sa atin merong right forum po riyan, puwede nating kasuhan, not to the point na gagamitin natin ang baril natin.”
DILG Sec. Eduardo Año also issued a statement regarding the issue, “Talagang murder ito. We will make sure na mai-file itong kaso at... dapat matanggal sa serbisyo itong pulis na ito. We don't need this kind of policeman. Napakasimpleng bagay lang niyan para gamitan mo ng armas... Talagang kailangan hustisya. Bigyan natin ng hustisya sina Sonya Gregorio at Frank Anthony Gregorio.”
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
