Trigger warning: This post contains details of gun-related violence.
Hours after Filipinos woke up to the news of yet another murder involving a police officer, the hashtag #PulisAngTerorista — “the police are the terrorists” — trended on Twitter as citizens expressed their anger and outrage.
The shooting of 52-year-old Lilybeth Valdez, by off-duty police officer Hensie Zinampan happened last night, at around 9:30pm on May 31, 2021, in Brgy. Greater Fairview, Quezon City. A witness sitting near the victim recorded a video of Zinampan approaching Valdez with his firearm drawn and hidden behind his back. Zinampan grabbed Valdez by the hair and shot the victim point-blank. There were children recorded on the video, apparently also witnesses to the incident.
The video was uploaded to Facebook by Valdez’s grandson, and was widely circulated on social media after news of the shooting came out. The video was used as evidence in the suspect’s arrest, as Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar ordered the filing of administrative charges against Zinampan this morning.
There were over 57.8K tweets as of 2:30pm using the #PulisAngTerorista hashtag, nearly double what it was just an hour before.
In December 2020, police officer Jonel Nuezca caused similar outrage when he was recorded on video shooting his neighbors, Sonya and Frank Anthony Gregorio, in a domestic altercation. Citizens drew connections between Nuezca and Gregorio, citing what they say is a culture of violence in the PNP.
FAIR VIEW: Police and military brutality is never an isolated case. Scalawags in uniform grow in a regime of tyranny and impunity. This explains why they should be kept out of our houses and campuses as they persist in invading our safe spaces. #PulisAngTerorista
— Danilo Arao (@dannyarao) June 1, 2021
tw: police brutality shooting killing murder
How can this still be considered an isolated case if it happens so often to form a pattern under this regimen? I can’t help but to think #PULISANGTERORISTA . Who do you call when the police murders? How many cases were not filmed? pic.twitter.com/qWeIbAUTip
— kitty 💓✨ (@kitiaraiadc) June 1, 2021
Pulis ang terorista: Trigger Warning.
Last year Nuezca killed a mother and her son. Now, Zinampan killed another senior citizen.
Both cops murdered vulnerable senior citizens. Both deny their crimes. Both wear the same uniform.
Cops are bastards. #PULISANGTERORISTA pic.twitter.com/dHkGjegFs8
— Mar(x)c (@Mrcxism) June 1, 2021
this is because of the system he created, a system wherein the only answer is to murder and protect the abusers. imagine if this wasn’t caught on camera, ang biktima na naman ang lalabas na masama. #PULISANGTERORISTA pic.twitter.com/mfMxmkM756
— `erin! out. (@S1NISINT4) June 1, 2021
please use your platform to speak about what’s happening in the philippines. if you’re unaware of what happened, check my recent rts. we can put aside speaking about our faves for a while. wag kayo mag bulag-bulagan. use your platform, rt information, speak up. #PULISANGTERORISTA
— check rts. (@mihyuners) June 1, 2021
NEVER GETS OLD #PULISANGTERORISTA pic.twitter.com/uhlVNNBeah
— Raffee 🍥 #RegisterToVote (@whuaffee) June 1, 2021
as someone who lives with one and who personally knows a lot of them, ang mechanism talaga ng mga pulis ay hugutin ang mga baril nila when inconveniences (that can be resolved in a civilized way) come to light. truly, the system has infiltrated their morals. #PULISANGTERORISTA https://t.co/SW33RpFgMM
— patricia (@patricecarag) June 1, 2021
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