The Duterte administration has caused Generation Z to be more vocal. With the advancement in technology and the rise of social media platforms, the young generation has become brave to express their opinions toward the government.
Just recently, police officer Jonel Nuezca killed Sonya and Anthony Frank Gregorio over a simple argument of firing a PVC cannon or boga. And with the recent killing of a mother and her son by a police officer, the young generation of celebrities have made their presence felt because of the incident.
Frankie Pangilinan, the daughter of Senator Kiko Pangilinan voiced out her anger through Twitter. She wrote that the killings of civilians by policemen are becoming a normal situation in the country. She also urged Filipinos to wake up to the dark reality that the country is gearing towards.
nakakalungkot, nakakagalit — mas lalo na dahil hindi na nakakagulat. ano nang nangyayari pilipinas? gising na ba?
— kakie (@kakiep83) December 20, 2020
which is #JusticeForGregorioFamily after police officer Jonel Nuezca gunned down Sonya Gregorio and her son Anthony Frank.
In her post, she wrote the motto of the Philippine National Police is ‘to serve and protect’ yet was able to steal lives.
https://twitter.com/MissKareee/status/1340905247598804992
https://twitter.com/MissKareee/status/1340843240853893121
Andrea Brillantes condemned the action of the trigger-happy cop. On her Twitter account, the young star questioned whether Nuezca is not bothered by his actions of killing civilians.
It was so easy for him to pull that trigger. If that doesn’t bother you, WHY?!?!?!?!?
— Andrea Brillantes (@iamandrea_b) December 21, 2020
Using the #StopTheKillingsPH, #JusticeforSonyaGregorio, and #JusticeForFrankGregorio, actress Jillian Ward shared her opinion regarding the dark side of humans. The fact that humans are indeed fragile makes us susceptible to succumbing to anger.
https://twitter.com/JillianWardx/status/1340959624439111681
Actor-dancer Bugoy Cariño shared the feelings that he felt while watching the video that surfaced online. He was truly devastated by the killings of two innocent people.
https://twitter.com/iambugoy_carino/status/1340981878010961920
Meanwhile, Eat Bulaga’s young host, Ryzza Mae Dizon seeks justice for the Gregorios who were slain by Nuezca. In her post, she was clearly devastated because of what happened.
https://twitter.com/ryzzamaedizon__/status/1340875084681027584
Kyline Alcantara threw shade towards the daughter of Nuezca who was possibly the reason the shooting happened.
In her tweet, she wished that the young daughter be enlightened of what’s actually right and wrong.
https://twitter.com/2002kyline/status/1340889021153640450
She also added that the way the daughter acted was like a spoiled brat who only knew that her father was a policeman. However, with the killing of two innocent people, it may be clear to the young girl that her father is a criminal.
https://twitter.com/2002kyline/status/1340809184716058624
When it comes to those who defended the action of the Nuezca, actor Aljon Mendoza asked those who stand with the police officer if they could still defend a policeman if the same thing happened to their family.
Pag kaya nangyari yun sa pamilya niyo, masasabi niyo pa kaya yan? God bless you https://t.co/ZXQGD8cKgi
— Aljon Mendoza (@AljonMendoza_) December 21, 2020
He also retweeted a photo while using the #StopTheKillingsPH, where a placard shows a message asking how many civilians have died where there were no evidence nor video to support the fact that they were killed by the police.
#StopTheKillingsPH https://t.co/2FWLwJmHz4
— Aljon Mendoza (@AljonMendoza_) December 21, 2020
Meanwhile, Maymay Entrata condole with the Gregorio family with the hashtag #JusticeForGregorioFamily.
#JusticeForGregorioFamily pic.twitter.com/3f9nTZQu4u
— Maymay (@maymayentrata07) December 22, 2020
Killings were wrong on so many levels
What happened to Sonya and her son was truly a case of police brutality. First, the police officer was off-duty. His carrying his service pistol to cause terror towards his victims was totally unbecoming of a police officer. Second, instead of resorting to a civil argument because of a simple misunderstanding, he chose to pull his gun and intimidate the family. Third, he showed incredible violence in front of his young daughter, which a father should not do. Fourth, his daughter was the one who was disrespectful towards the elderly and yet he defended the action of his child. Fifth, Nuezca has two criminal charges against him but still, he’s on the police force. And lastly, he killed Sonya and her son without any hesitation, even firing 2 more bullets after they both hit the ground.
This incident is just one of the stories where civilians have died at the hands of those who ought to protect them. It is being normalized and it should be stopped.
The credibility of policemen in the Philippines has always been stained. Several news reports where a case of ‘nanlaban’ was always the alibi of these so-called protectors of Filipinos. But this time, the killing of a helpless mother and her child is at the center of controversy. Everyone is hoping that this time around, the justice system of the Philippines will be in favor of the Gregorios.
