THE trigger-happy police officer who shot dead his two neighbors, a mother and her son, in Paniqui, Tarlac, owns the distinction of having been slapped with nine criminal and administrative cases, some of which resulting in his suspension.
In a document obtained from an insider, Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, 46 years old and assigned at the Parañaque City Police Crime Laboratory, and presently residing at Barangay Cabayaoasan in Paniqui, has been suspended twice and faced a long list of charges including refusal to submit himself to mandatory drug test, which forms an integral part of the cleansing process of the Philippine National Police.
Other cases he faced include grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, refusal to stand as prosecution witness and serious neglect of duty.
He is the same police officer who was earlier reported to have sneaked out of the National Police Commission office where he was supposed to undergo a mandatory drug test.
Nuezca killed 52-year old Sonya Gregorio and 25-year old son Frank Anthony Gregorio using his 9 mm service firearm late Sunday afternoon.
Police said the suspect fled the crime scene onboard a motorcycle after the incident.
However, a netizen was able to take a video of the incident and uploaded it on the social media where the face of the trigger-happy suspect was eventually identified. It was then that fellow cops launched a hot pursuit operation to catch the fleeing suspect.
An hour later, Rosales Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Pangasinan called the Paniqui Municipal Police Station informing that the suspect had surrendered at their station with his issued firearm that was used in the crime.
Personnel of Paniqui police then proceeded to Rosales MPS to pick up and transfer the suspect to their station.
As this developed, Malacañang vowed to deliver justice over the grisly killing of a 52-year-old woman and her son by a police officer in Tarlac.
In a news conference, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Nuezca, cannot use as defense the fact that his actions were done in the line of his duty.
“Hindi po ito service-related na double murder. Ito po’y isang away na di umano tungkol sa pag-posisyon sa lupa. Ang pulis pong iyan ay hindi pwedeng mag-invoke na kahit anong depensa na may kinalaman sa kanilang tungkulin ang pagpatay na iyan,” Roque said.
“Ito po’y tatratuhin na ordinaryong murder cases,” said Roque adding that President Duterte will not protect the cop.
“Iimbestigahan, kakasuhan at lilitisin po natin ang pulis na iyan. No ifs, no buts. Magkakaroon po ng katarungan dahil kitang kita naman po natin ang ebidensya ng pangyayari. Hindi po iyan po-protektahan ng Presidente. Kinokondena po natin iyan,” Roque said.