Brutal, Ain’t It?
By: Jan Richmond Tieng
Tags: Police, Police Brutality, Philippines, Society, Reflections

The Philippines was rattled this morning with news of murder involving a police, when mother and son Sonya Gregorio and Frank Anthony Gregorio were shot and killed point-blank by Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca because of an altercation. If things weren’t any better, the Nuezca had already been involved in a string of cases, with two homicide cases that were dismissed last year due to lack of evidence, along with other less grave cases from as far back as 2009.

People were appalled and enraged by the cold-blooded murder perpetrated by Nuezca. Social media was rife with calls for end to police brutality and senseless killings, and everyone agreed that Nuezca must face the music and be made to answer for the crime committed within the fullest extent of the law. There are even a host of them who demand for his head, that he pay back life with a life. His daughter, who was also involved in the altercation, was not spared from the online calls and attacks, especially after seeing her “My father is a policeman, I don’t care” response to the Gregorios.

Should we be enraged by this?

Yes. Police brutality has no place in society. Such killings are senseless and and must not be condoned, supported, and perpetuated. The very fabric of law enforcement is compromised and tarnished by such inhumane acts. I am with everyone who agrees that we need to speak up.

But, to me, there’s a bigger problem that’s coming to fore, one that we ought to be careful of.

I fear that the people’s persona that only pops up on social media feeds fully engulfs them offline, and triggers a stronger wave of hatred, toxicity, and vitriol reaches a point of no return, fully consuming people, leading to unrest, the breakdown of civility, and the disposal of time-held values that we ought to hold dear. Social media is already becoming that playing field. While we feel triggered by this terrible incident (for the lack of a better description), we also should look into ourselves, especially with how low we go in our manner of response to this senseless and brutal killing of innocents.

I fear that we are becoming the very monster that we condemn.

Let’s condone police brutality. Let’s condone all the senseless killings. Let’s fight for the end of it all, because we should. But let’s not become a Jonel Nuezca in the process, sans the point-blank shooting. Think about it, a person like Jonel Nuezca did not just become a murderer overnight upon wielding a gun. His descent to such a level, and that of his daughter, was paved by numerous factors. His string of cases, dating back to 2009, are enough proof of this. We don’t have that same string of cases. We have our own individual experiences. But we ought to be on guard, ensuring we don’t descend in the same manner, despite the difference in circumstances, and how we conduct ourselves, both online and offline, can give us away.

This descent, and how it impacts others, is what creates more Jonel Nuezcas, regardless of whether they’re persons of power, or the ordinary Juans and Juanas like you and me.

Let’s not be the reason for another Nuezca to pop up in our society. Let’s start with ourselves now.