Año wants death penalty for cops committing heinous crimes

Police officers committing heinous crimes should have been punished with death penalty only if capital punishment is reinstated in the country, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Wednesday.

"Kung mayroon nga lang tayong death penalty, gusto ko 'yung mga pulis na siyang nagpapatupad eh siyang lumalabag ng ganyang heinous crimes eh talagang death penalty para sa akin 'yung parusa dapat," Año told Dobol B sa News TV.

"Para sa akin ang death penalty puwedeng iimpose sa drugs, 'yung mga drug lord, drug syndicates at dito sa mga heinous crimes na ginawa ng mga pulis or men in uniform na dapat magpatupad eh sila 'yung gumawa ng heinous crime, dapat death penalty 'yan..." he added.

Talks about death penalty arose anew following the shooting incident in Paniqui, Tarlac involving Jonel Nuezca, a cop assigned in Parañaque City Police's Crime Laboratory.

According to the Palace, the revival of death penalty lies with Congress as some lawmakers already expressed support for it.

Nueza had a heated argument with his neighbors, Sonya and Frank Antonio Gregorio, that ended in the fatal shooting unarmed mother and her son.

Nuezca, who had been slapped with criminal and administrative cases had been demoted in previous years by the National Police Commission from police senior master sergeant to police master sergeant due to an extortion case in 2014.

The cop was already indicted for two counts of murder because of the Tarlac shooting incident. —LBG, GMA News