PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is not bent on retracting on his order to the police to shoot criminals, says presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Reacting to criticisms that his rhetoric has emboldened police officers to abuse their powers with impunity, Roque simply shrugged it off, too, in reference to the gruesome incident that saw on cam Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca kill 58-year old Sonia Gregorio and her son 25-year old son Frank, 25, over an argument in Paniqui town, Tarlac last Sunday.
The incident, which caused quite a stir and public outrage against the President’s “shoot-to-kill” order against supposed criminals, resulted in the revival of calls to end killings in the Philippines and brutality of the Philippine National Police.
Since taking over Malacañang in 2016, Duterte had repeatedly said in his speeches that he ordered police officials to kill drug criminals, with an assurance of protection coming from him.
“Sa mula’t mula po, malinaw ang Presidente dahil siya ay isang abogado, piskal pa nga po. Sinasabi niya na poprotektahan niya ang mga pulis kung tama ang ginagawa, kung mali eh talagang parurusahan. At ang sinasabi niya, ang tanging test para gumamit ng dahas ang pulis ay kung mayroon talagang banta sa kaniyang buhay,” Roque said.
“Anything short of a banta doon sa kaniyang buhay at gumamit ng dahas maybe a crime.”
Roque also defended the PNP as an institution — “Napakalaki po ng ating Philippine National Police. By and large, respetado po sila dahil talagang buhay ang kanilang kapital sa kanilang trabaho. Wag naman natin sila lahatin.”
He further averred that the government has been doing its job to tighten the PNP recruitment service to prevent a repeat of the killings in Tarlac.
“It takes only one of you to destroy the reputation and integrity of the institution,” Roque reminded police officers.
Nuezca, who has admitted to the crime [a video of which went viral on various social media platforms], is facing two counts of murder and is under custody without bail.
Aside from the Tarlac incident, the PNP has been dragged in a long list of abuses resulting in death.
Back on August 16, 2017, 17-year old Kian Delos Santos was killed near his home in Caloocan City. CCTV video released later showed policemen dragging Kian through the streets and shooting him, although officers initially said the victim shot at them and they were merely defending themselves.
The same year, two cops were accused of raping two female detainees in Marikina City. The victims underwent custodial debriefing, after which the cops allegedly brought them to an office where they were allegedly sexually assaulted.
Since the lockdown was imposed in the wake of a global pandemic scare, crimes involving cops also increased. In fact, on April 21, 2020, a police officer shot and killed Winston Ragos in Brgy Pasong Putik in Quezon City. Reports said the 33-year-old former soldier was reaching for something inside his shoulder bag when the cop shot him twice.
Less than a week after a secret detention cell was discovered behind a bookshelf inside Station 1 of the Manila Police District. A total of 12 men and women kept inside the air-tight cubicle for at least 10 days. The cops’ alibi: Processing of paper works still in progress.
On July 2, 2020, a 15-year-old girl was raped and then killed, allegedly by police officers from San Juan, Ilocos Sur. The girl and her 18-year-old cousin were reportedly detained first for violating curfew on June 28 while she was on her way home. After they filed a complaint with the Cabugao police station, the victim was shot and killed by two men on a motorcycle. The suspects were later identified as police officers.
In October of the same year, the Philippine National Police Academy came under fire over another hazing incident. The victim, PNPA cadet John Desiderio, had to undergo an operation after he was diagnosed with internal bleeding October 29.
Last month, Baguio City resident Harjan Lagman’s headless body was found in the town of Tublay, Benguet last month. Suspects were later identified to be two members of the Cordillera regional police drug enforcement unit. On December 18 it was reported that the DEU had been disbanded.
All except Kian delos Santos’ case, took place this year.