Women’s commission: Spare Nuezca’s daughter from condemnation

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) has joined calls for the daughter of Police Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca to be spared from cyberbullying after her father killed their unarmed neighbors in Tarlac.

The police officer's young daughter was with her father when he shot Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony during a heated confrontation last Sunday.

"We remind the public that she, like every girl, has the right to be protected from all kinds of violence, including cyberviolence," the PCW said in a statement.

"What the video showed us is only her surface—a possible manifestation of her environment and many other factors that we did not witness and so we do not have the right to judge," it added.

The commission said the child needs the appropriate intervention and rehabilitation instead of public ridicule because she also witnessed the traumatic event.

"Let us show compassion to her—the very same thing that we demand from agents of the law," it said.

The Child Rights Network has also asked the public not to bully Nuezca's daughter, saying it will lead to more harm and trauma.

In addition, the PCW said the killing of Sonya, who was clutching her son, was "appalling, infuriating, and disheartening" and a display of "senseless violence" against an unarmed woman.

"Can her shooting be rooted to the deeply ingrained notion that women are inferior? Is her death a proof that some manage to take advantage of those who are marginalized?" the PCW asked.

"These may be debatable but one thing is clear and is not contestable: a woman was killed, a clear violation of her right to life, a life that we at the PCW, has long tried to empower," it added.

The commission also echoed calls for a thorough investigation, saying incidents like the Gregorio murders will ruin the credibility of police officers and discourage women from seeking help.

Nuezca faces charges for two counts of murder. He had faced homicide cases in the past, according to the Philippine National Police.

He is in police custody. — BM, GMA News