Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, the off-duty cop who was caught on video shooting to death Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony in Paniqui, Tarlac, last month, has been dismissed from the service, Philippine National Police Chief Debold Sinas said Monday.
“He is meted with administrative penalty of dismissal from service effective today. This was already implemented by the RD NCRPO (Regional Director, National Capital Region Police Office) Brig. Gen. Vic Danao,” Sinas told reporters in Camp Crame.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines on Monday praised the PNP for its decision to dismiss Nuezca.
IBP National President Domingo Egon Cayosa said the swift action by the PNP Internal Affairs Service, in dismissing Nuezca from the service, would go a long way in restoring the trust of the public in the PNP and the justice system.
"The swift action of the Internal Affairs Service of the PNP on the administrative case of Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca by recommending his dismissal from the service for shooting his neighbors Sonya and Frank Anthony Gregorio is welcome and commendable," Cayosa said in a statement.
Nuezca has entered a plea of not guilty to the murder charges against him during the arraignment of the case on Jan. 7.
The Gregorio family’s counsel, Alfredo Villamor, said Nuezca’s not-guilty plea paved the way for the Paniqui RTC Branch 67 to conduct a full-blown trial of the case.
Villamor expressed confidence they had a strong case to pin down Nuezca.
Sinas ordered Nuezca’s dismissal after he approved the recommendation of the Internal Affairs Service.
The IAS recommended the cop's dismissal due to the two counts of grave misconduct and two counts of conduct unbecoming of an officer, which is an administrative case.
“As to the criminal cases, it is still ongoing,” Sinas said.
IAS Inspector general Alfegar Triambulo earlier said he had recommended Nuezca's dismissal as the probe results revealed his liability on the administrative case against him in connection with the shooting.
Triambulo added that Nuezca’s admission in his position paper that he shot the two victims also served as the basis of their recommendation for dismissal.
Nuezca is facing two counts of murder at the Regional Trial Court, Branch 67, of the same town. The next hearing on his case is on Feb. 4.