Police Staff Sgt. Jonel Nuezca filed a not guilty plea in the murder case filed against him after he was caught on video shooting dead two of his neighbors in Paniqui, Tarlac in December.
According to Paniqui Municipal Police Station chief Noriel Rombaoa, the arraignment of the case of Police Staff Sgt. Jonel Nuezca on January 7.
Nuezca did not actually appear in court because he is currently in a 21-day quarantine at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility in Paniqui.
Through the video conference, Nuezca was charged with two counts of murder for the murder of Sonia and Frank Anthony Gregorio.
“Naka-isolate pa siya kasi 21 days ‘yung requirements from BJMP,” said Rombaoa.
Nuezca’s lawyer attended the arraignment, as did the victim’s family and lawyer.
The next hearing in the case is on February 4 where Nuezca is expected to be physically present.
The majority of those who have been following the case of the mother and her son who was shot dead by Jonel Nuezca raised their eyebrows when the killer cop filed a not guilty plea. This is because aside from that he was caught on video, many people, including minors and Jonel Nuezca’s daughter, have witnessed the crime.
Jonel Nuezca files not guilty plea to double murder
Murder is defined and penalized under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), as amended, which provides:
“ART. 248. Murder. Any person who, not falling within the provisions of Article 246, shall kill another, shall be guilty of murder and shall be punished by reclusion perpetua, to death if committed with any of the following attendant circumstances:
- With treachery, taking advantage of superior strength, with the aid of armed men, or employing means to weaken the defense, or of means or persons to insure or afford impunity;
- In consideration of a price, reward, or promise;
- By means of inundation, fire, poison, explosion, shipwreck, stranding of a vessel, derailment or assault upon a railroad, fall of an airship, by means of motor vehicles, or with the use of any other means involving great waste and ruin;
- On occasion of any calamities enumerated in the preceding paragraph, or of an earthquake, eruption of a volcano, destructive cyclone, epidemic, or any other public calamity;
- With evident premeditation;
- With cruelty, by deliberately and inhumanly augmenting the suffering of the victim, or outraging or scoffing at his person or corpse.”
Under the Revised Penal Code, the penalty imposed for the crime of murder is reclusion perpetua (20 years and 1 day to 40 years, but still indivisible penalty).