Cause of Nuezca's death likely heart attack —BuCor spox

The body of dismissed Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, who murdered two neighbors in Tarlac in December 2020, will undergo autopsy on Thursday to determine the cause of his death, according to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) spokesman Gabriel Chaclag.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB on Thursday, Chaclag said initial findings by the facility's medical personnel point to "cardiac infraction" as the cause of Nuezca's death.

"Today is the schedule of autopsy," Chaclag said. "Initial findings ng ating medical personnel ay may cardiac infraction ito, ibig sabihin ay baka heart attack."

(Initial findings of our medical personnel point to cardiac infraction, which means the cause of death is likely heart attack.)

Chaclag said they expect the results of the autopsy within the week.

"Hopefully this week kasi gusto naming magkaroon ng resolusyon na itong kasong ito kasi may mga nagsasabing baka hindi raw namatay, yung iba naman sabi pinatay"

"So to rule out foul play and to rule out rumors ay gusto namin mabilis na matapos yung final investigation report nito at mailabas natin sa public kasi alam namin public interest ito."

(Hopefully the results of the autopsy will be released this week because we want an immediate resolution to this case because some are claiming Nuezca isn't really dead or he was killed. So to rule out foul play and rumors we want to expedite the release of the final investigation report to the public.)

Nuezca was pronounced dead at 6:44 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. He was brought unconscious to the New Bilibid Prison hospital by his fellow inmates after he reportedly experienced dizziness.

According to Chaclag, no injuries or bruises were found in Nuezca's body.

Nuezca's death comes more than three months after a Tarlac court found Nuezca guilty of murdering his neighbors, mother and son Sonia and Frank Anthony Gregorio, due to an altercation over a "boga" explosion and right of way.

The Paniqui, Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 106 sentenced Nuezca to reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years in prison for each count of murder. Nuezca was also ordered to pay damages worth P952,560 to the Gregorio family.

Meanwhile, Chaclag said it is up to Nuezca's next of kin to decide on what to do with his remains.

"Once na na-release na sa funeral service provider at na-autopsy na ay wala na sa amin ang kontrol diyan," he said. —KBK, GMA News