EDITORIAL - Changes still needed

Police Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, the policeman who was recorded shooting dead two of his neighbors by shooting them in the head one after the other in Tarlac a few days before Christmas last year, has been dismissed from police service.

"(The chief, PNP) has just announced it following the approval of (the regional director of the National Capital Region Police Office) on the dismissal from the service of Police (Staff Sergeant) Nuezca which is effective today," Philstar.com quotes Philippine National Police spokesman Police Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana as saying in a text message.

Aside from the grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer --which led to his dismissal-- he will also faces two charges of murder for the killing of his neighbors.

This is all well and good, we don’t like policemen like Nueza running around and he must be put away. However, like we said in a previous editorial, there must be changes in how the PNP accepts and screens recruits and keeps those who have turned into bad apples from staying within the police force.

There was something clearly wrong with Nuezca considering the way he acted during the incident, which was all filmed on a cellphone. Whether he felt a sense of entitlement because he was a member of the police force, or if he was really not one who could rein in his baser instincts we may never know.

The fact that he has decided to plead not guilty to the charges against him seems to show that he has not fully grasped his responsibility or involvement in the incident.

Again, we acknowledge that there are many decent and honest policemen in the service. People who only want to help others. But among them are those who don’t deserve to wear the uniform or carry a firearm. Those who should not have been allowed into the ranks and given a badge in the first place.

There needs to be changes made within the PNP. If nothing is done to improve how policemen are screened and evaluated it won’t be a question of if another policeman will snap and do something so horrendous, but when.