KPop group 2Ne1’s I DON’T CARE, released in 2009, is revisited by some netizens after the tragic killing of a 52-year-old mother and her 25-year-old son in the hands of a police officer in Tarlac. One of the victims, Sonya Gregorio, reportedly sang the chorus of this Korean hit to Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca when she learned about his occupation. | Photo from YG ENTERTAINMENT/YOUTUBE
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Korean pop (KPop) group’s 2009 hit song “I Don’t Care”, has become a sad song for Filipino netizens this December.
This was how some netizens described the Korean group’s 2NE1’s hit song as it became one of the trending topics on Twitter on December 21, 2020 after Sunday’s shooting incident in Tarlac where the victim sang the chorus of this Korean track before she and her son were shot dead by an off-duty policeman.
Sonya Gregorio reportedly sang the chorus of this Korean track to Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca shortly before she was killed by the latter on Sunday, December 20 in Paniqui, Tarlac. Nuezca also shot dead Sonya’s son, 25-year-old Frank Anthony.
Read: Cop who shot mother and son in Tarlac had previous administrative cases
In an Inquirer.net report, Lieutenant Colonel Noriel Rombaoa, chief of Paniqui MPS, said the shooting incident happened after a confrontation between the suspect and the victims over the firing of a “boga”, a noisemaker usually made of PVC pipe or bamboo for revelries.
The suspect, who surrendered to authorities in Tarlac on Monday, December 21, and the Gregorios were neighbors.
A video of the crime, now circulating on social media, immediately caught the ire of netizens, condemning Nuezca for allegedly disregarding the value of a person’s life.
It was also in this video when netizens pointed out how Sonya shouted at Nuezca “I don’t care” to the tune of the 2NE1’s hit song.
2NE1 is a Korean pop group, whose members include former Kapamilya Star, Sandara Park.
In a 2009 article from Asia Economy, a South Korean news website, CL, also a member of the group, said the song was a warning message for the men and advice for the women in dealing with relationships.
2NE1 was disbanded in 2016.
Some Filipino netizens also revisited the music video of I DON’T CARE on YouTube, saying that the song has transformed into a fighting, political statement for Sonya.
After more than a decade, sinong mag-aakala na muling sisikat sa Pilipinas ang “I Don’t Care” ng 2NE1? Sa ibang paraan nga lang. Salute to Nanay Sonya! Hindi siya nagpatinag sa mapang-abusong pulis at sa demonyang anak nito. I will remember “I Don’t Care” as a song about courage and firmness, Youtube user Kendra Quinto commented.
Youtube user seigi min also said Only Filipinos can understand why this song is the (sic) saddest song ever, right now.
Malacañang, for its part, expressed condemnation on the ruthless killing of the Gregorios, and vowed that Nuezca will not be receiving special treatment.
Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque on December 21 said Nuezca cannot use as a defense the fact that his actions were done in the line of his duty./dbs