The conviction of former cop Jonel Nuezca for double murder will serve as a lesson to all police officers not to torment the people but protect them, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said on Thursday.

“Justice is finally served with the conviction of former police sergeant Jonel Nuezca,” Eleazar said in a statement.

Eleazar said Nuezca was dismissed from the service long before this conviction and all his benefits were forfeited.

“This shows that justice is working in our country and the Philippine National Police is not tolerating these kinds of cops,” he said.

Eleazar said that the trial for another policeman, Hensie Zinampan, in another viral video of killing in Quezon City last June is ongoing.

“He too was already dismissed from the service and we are confident that justice will also be served to the family of his victim Lilybeth Valdez,” Eleazar said.

“Both the cases of Nuezca and Zinampan will serve as a lesson that will constantly remind us that as police officers, we are the protectors of the Filipino people, and not their tormentors,” he added.

The Tarlac regional trial court convicted Nuezca for double murder after finding him guilty for killing 52-year-old Sonia Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony December last year. The court sentenced him to suffer 40 years imprisonment.

In an 18-page joint decision, Nuezca was found guily beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of two counts of murder as defined under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code.

For the murder of Sonia Gregorio, the RTC judge ordered the former cop to pay the victim’s heirs P100,000 of civil indemnity, P100,000 as moral damages, P100,000 as exemplary damages, P126,280.00 as actual damages, and P50,000 as temperate damages with interest rate of six percent per annum from the finality of the decision until fully paid.

The lower court also required Nuezca to pay the same amounts of compensation to the heirs of 25-year-old Frank Anthony. Ella Dionisio/DMS