MANILA – Police Staff Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, the suspect in the brutal killing of a mother and son in Tarlac late last year, has been dismissed from service, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
In a press briefing on Monday, PNP chief Police General Debold Sinas said Nuezca’s dismissal was an administrative penalty.
“The dismissal was already implemented by the regional director of NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office), Police Brigadier General Vic Danao,” Sinas said. “As to the criminal case ay ongoing na po.”
On Dec. 20, Nuezca shot a mother and son – Sonya Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony Gregorio, 25 – following an argument over the latter’s use of an improvised canon or “boga” in Tarlac’s Paniqui town.
The policeman, who was assigned at the Parañaque City police crime laboratory, was off-duty when the incident occurred. He surrendered to Paniqui police and was slapped with double murder charges.
Earlier this month, Nuezca entered a not guilty plea during the arraignment, according to Paniqui police chief Noriel Rombaoa.
Nuezca is no stranger to administrative cases, police said. Last month he was demoted one rank over a 2014 case when he was reported to have extorted money from a tricycle driver and a passenger when he was still assigned in Taguig.
He also faced a grave misconduct case in May 2019 and a homicide case in December 2019 – both were dismissed due to lack of substantial evidence.
Nuezca was also slapped with a serious neglect of duty charge after he failed to attend a court hearing as a prosecution witness in a drug case in 2016. The case was dropped and closed.
A less grave neglect of duty charge was also filed against Nuezca in April 2014 for refusing to take a drug test. Records show that he left the testing area without permission from authorities, prompting him to be penalized with a 31-day suspension.
Before this, Nuezca faced an administrative case for grave misconduct in 2013, but the case was likewise dropped and closed./PN
