Police are patrolling Manila, Philippines.
Photographer: Ezra Acayan / Getty Images
Photographer: Ezra Acayan / Getty Images
Philippine government says it will prosecute a police officer for the death of a mother and son after a video of the shooting it went viral on social media, leading to renewed calls against police violence and extrajudicial killings.
Senior Sergeant Jonel Nuezca faces double death row charges for the deaths of Sonya Gregorio and her son, Frank Anthony, who were Nuezca’s neighbors in Tarlac province, north of the capital, according to police reports. The officer turned himself in to authorities, he said.
A video of the filming circulated on social media, although YouTube Inc. removed it because of the violent content. #StopTheKillingsPH is one of several topics about the crime that had trends on Twitter Inc., with over 700,000 tweets.
Duterte’s The war on drugs causes “collateral damage”: QuickTake Questions and answers
“We condemn what happened in Tarlac. That policeman cannot make any defense that the murder is linked to his duty, “presidency spokesman Harry Roque said Monday.” We will investigate, prosecute, try and punish that officer – no, if not, but no, “he said, adding that President Rodrigo Duterte would not protect Nuezca.
The crime underscores the prevailing impunity in the Philippines, Human Rights Watch Deputy Director Phil Robertson said in a statement on Monday. “It took place in an environment conducive to police violence that President Duterte himself encouraged,” Robertson said, adding that there were cases in which Duterte apologized for police misconduct.
Nearly 5,000 suspected drug users and traffickers died from July 2016 to September 2018, while police said in mid-2018 that more than 23,000 crimes had been investigated since the beginning of Duterte’s term, according to a Human Rights report. Watch from last year.
International Criminal Court investigates Philippine drug war, prompting Duterte to do so withdraws the nation’s participation in the court recognized by over 100 countries.