Police officers patrol Manila, Philippines.
Photographer: Ezra Acayan / Getty Images
Photographer: Ezra Acayan / Getty Images
The Philippine government said it would prosecute a police officer for the deaths of a mother and son following a video of the shooting went viral on social media, sparking renewed calls against police brutality and extrajudicial killings.
According to the police report, Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca is facing double assassination attempts over the death of Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony, who were Nuezca’s neighbors in Tarlac province north of the capital. The officer has surrendered to the authorities, he said.
A video of the shooting circulated on social media, although YouTube Inc. deleted it for violent content. #StopTheKillingsPH is one of the many crime topics that have been trending on Twitter Inc., with over 700,000 tweets.
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“We condemn what happened in Tarlac. That agent cannot make any defense that the murder is related to his duty, “Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Monday. President Rodrigo Duterte will not protect Nuezca.
The murder underscores impunity in the Philippines, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said in a statement Monday. “It took place in the context of a favorable environment for police brutality that President Duterte himself has encouraged,” said Robertson, adding that there were instances where Duterte excused police misconduct.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch last year, nearly 5,000 suspected drug users and dealers died between July 2016 and September 2018, while police said in mid-2018 that more than 23,000 murders have been investigated since the beginning of Duterte’s tenure.
The International Criminal Court is investigating the drug war in the Philippines, prompting Duterte withdraw the country’s participation in the court recognized by more than 100 countries.