MANILA (UPDATE) - Several senators on Monday decried the brutal police killing of an unarmed mother and her son in Tarlac after a heated argument, saying "leadership" and "a system that rewards misdeeds instead of punishing them" play a role in what they they see as impunity in the country.

A viral video earlier showed Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca, 46, shooting Sonya Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony, 25, on Sunday after a verbal tussle allegedly over the victims' use of homemade cannon in their hometown Paniqui.

• Mag-ina patay sa pamamaril ng pulis sa Paniqui, Tarlac

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said "impunity breeds trigger-happy cops."

"So long as the culture of impunity exists in the country, and when there is a system that rewards misdeeds instead of punishing them, police abuses and violence will continue," Drilon said in a statement.

"This is pure evil. That devil who committed an evil act in front of his own daughter deserves to rot in jail... He should spend Christmas and a lifetime in jail," added Drilon, a former Justice Secretary.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan shared a similar comment, and urged the Duterte administration not to condone the crime.

"Yan ang resulta kapag kinukunsinti o hindi pinaparusahan ang mga pulis na abusado at tiwali," he said in a separate statement.

"Hihintayin natin ang pagkondena ng Administrasyon sa pangyayari at tiyakin na mapaparusahan sa halip na kinukunsinti o pino-promote pa ang mga tiwali at abusadong pulis," he said.

• Palace: Duterte won't protect cop who killed woman, son in Tarlac

President Rodrigo Duterte will not protect Nuezca, Malacañang said on Monday as it condemned the crime.

Harry Roque, Duterte's spokesman, said the President has repeatedly told troops to use violence only when their lives are in danger.

LEADERSHIP PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Sen. Panfilo Lacson underscored that "leadership" affects the behavior of police personnel.

"I would say, based on my own experience, leadership plays a major role in the behavior and attitude of the rank and file," he said, without specifying if he was referring to the current PNP leadership or Duterte, who is considered as the commander-in-chief of the police force.

"Never too late for the PNP to consider applying this policy especially when self-discipline is not exactly a virtue among some policemen," Lacson said, without naming police officials.

• 'I'm not ready to condemn anybody,' says Duterte on cops' killing of soldiers in Sulu

Duterte had defended current PNP chief Debold Sinas after the former Metro Manila police chief drew public ire for holding a "mañanita" birthday celebration at the height of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon in May, when public gatherings were prohibited to curb the spread of COVID-19.

• Duterte forgives Sinas for ‘mañanita’, defends his appointment as PNP chief

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima pinned the blame on Duterte's alleged support for the killing of suspected criminals.

"Dahil sa mga berdugong pahayag at paghimok ni Duterte na pumatay, kahit sa pinakamaliit na dahilan, pumapatay na ang mga pulis!" De Lima said in a statement.

(Because of Duterte's killer-like pronouncements and his encouragement for police to kill, authorities are now killing people for the pettiest reasons.)

"Lalong lumakas ang loob ng mga mamamatay-tao at mga abusado sa kapangyarihan. Baril na ang namamagitan sa sibilyan at pulis, hindi na batas at proseso ng law enforcement," she said.

(Killers and those who abuse their power are empowered. Guns, and not the rule of law and the process of law enforcement are what stand between civilians and the police.)

Earlier this year, De Lima filed Senate Bill No. 1842, which seeks to criminalize extra judicial killings, but the measure has yet to be tackled in plenary.

Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go, in a separate statement, said he and the President would not condone the brutal killing in Tarlac.

"Full support po kami sa kanila basta in line of duty at kung ginawa niyo po ang trabaho ninyo bilang isang pulis na poprotekta sa kapakanan ng nakakarami, pero hindi natin hahayaan na may mga mapang-abusong tulad nito na sisira sa mga reporma na ipinaglalaban natin," he said.

(We are in full support of the police as long as what they are doing is in line of their duty and if they are doing their job of protecting the greater majority, but we will not allow abusive policemen to destroy the reforms we are fighting for.)

"Nananawagan ako sa ating otoridad na siguraduhing mabubulok sa kulungan ang taong ito," Go said of Nuezca.

(We are calling on our authorities to ensure that the suspect will rot in jail.)

'NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE'

Majority Sen. Sonny Angara also joined calls for justice, saying the PNP should punish the erring policeman.

"Hope the PNP will make an example of the cop (if he is really one as reported) caught shooting 2 people on video. Cold blooded," he said in a tweet.

Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she would raise the Tarlac shooting incident in the Senate when the chamber resumes session next month.

"Saan papunta ang lipunan natin (Where is our society headed to) if a law enforcer and father can feel so invincible that he thinks it's his RIGHT to murder an unarmed mother and her son," Hontiveros said in a tweet.

"It's time to remove this trick mirror that makes these police think they are all-powerful and untouchable. Nasa ilalim din sila ng batas (They are also under the law)," she said.

"We must restore the dignity of the law and the meaning of peace & order. There is no peace without justice."

• 'Show no mercy': Lacson says cop behind mother, son slay in Tarlac should 'rot in jail'

'MORAL REFORMATION'

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said police in the Philippines need to undergo "retraining" and "refreshers on rules including moral reformation."

Sotto earlier pushed to increase the PNP's 2021 budget to fund a retraining program for law enforcers.

"Obviously, my proposal is badly needed," he told ABS-CBN News.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the brutal killing in Tarlac was a "complete opposite" of the "image" the PNP is trying to create.

"We don't train policemen to be like that," he said.

"Kaya nga makakaasa 'yung pamilya ng biktima na ang police at DILG, gagawin ang lahat para mabigay ang hustisya," he said.

(The victims' family can rest assured that the police and the DILG will do everything to serve justice.)

Nuezca surrendered to authorities Sunday evening, and is detained in the Paniqui Municipal Police Office while investigations continue. He had since been indicted for two counts of murder.

• Policeman in viral slay video indicted for double murder

Paniqui Police chief Lt. Col. Noriel Rombaoa reminded police to observe maximum tolerance when calling out citizens who may be violating policies against the use of firecrackers during the holiday season.

"Sa mga kasamahan po natin sa pulisya, dapat self-control kasi nga maximum tolerance tayo, tayo ang may armas," Rombaoa said.

(To our fellow police, we should exercise self-control and maximum tolerance because we are armed.)

"Kung merong umaagrabiyado sa atin, merong right forum po riyan. Puwede nating kasuhan, not to the point na gagamitin natin ang baril natin," he said.

(If there are people who provoke us, there is a right forum for that. We can file cases against them, and not reach the point of using our firearms.)

Sen. Lacson had noted that Nuezca, who is assigned to the Parañaque City Crime laboratory, was not on duty when the incident happened.

"As a policy recommendation, policemen should turn in their issued firearms to their unit’s armorer or supply officer when on off-duty status," he said.

"That said, they should not be issued a Permit to Carry Firearm Outside Residence for their personal firearm while still in the active service," he added.

"In other jurisdictions, surrendering officially issued firearms while off duty is a standard practice by police officers."

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