I am not an NBI agent nor an NBI asset. [24] This was categorically denied by the Supreme Court as Justice Carpio had in fact recused himself from the case and was not going to take part in the deliberation. Alfaro claimed that Hubert was angry at Carmela thus raping and murdering her, her younger sister and her mother, to supposedly revenge her unfaithfulness to him. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. But her parents did not allow her to go. Alibi cannot prevail over the positive identification of a credible witness [140].. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. Police assets are often criminals themselves. [29], For the alibi to be established "the accused must prove by positive, clear, and satisfactory evidence that he was present at another place at the time of the perpetration of the crime, and that it was physically impossible for him to be at the scene of the crime". With the exception of Filart and Ventura who had been convicted in absentia the men were acquitted by the Supreme Court on December 14, 2010 for failure of the prosecution to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Choose Gods endless kind of love., Hernandez also reminded Vizconde that he now had three saints in Heaven.. CONCLUSION: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by this unequal application of jurisprudence by the SC on the Abadilla murder and the Vizconde massacre. [25][26], On December 14, 2010, the Supreme Court reversed the earlier judgment of the lower court and Court of Appeals and acquitted seven of the nine accused, including Hubert Webb, finding that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused were guilty beyond reasonable doubt. On April 28, 1995, National Bureau of Investigations asset and self-confessed drug user Jessica Alfaro came forward to police authorities to shed light on the killing of the Vizconde family. The Vizconde murder case, colloquially known as the Vizconde massacre, was the multiple homicide of members of the Vizconde family on June 30, 1991 at their residence at 80 Vinzons Street, BF Homes, Paraaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. On the contrary, it reopens it. Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. This was how Lauro Vizcondes relatives summed it up on Thursday night after a Mass marking the 20th anniversary of the death of his wife Estrellita and daughters Carmela and Jennifer. Suspicions, no matter how strong they are, must never sway judgment. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. I stand by my story. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. However, the court pointed out that while Webb or his parents may be able to "arrange for the local immigration to put a March 9, 1991 departure stamp on his passport and an October 27, 1992 arrival stamp", they could not fix a foreign airlines passenger manifest, and the U.S. Immigration's record system. Nephews had posted a banner declaring "Truth prevails 20 years after" and demanding "Final justice for the Vizconde massacre victims," in apparent reference to government probers' claims . The SC, however, held that by failing to prove the existence of a relationship between Hubert and Carmela; and that the lover that Alfaro claimed that Carmela had met did not come forward in public or in court, her testimonies about the accused and the victims were like a piece of jigsaw puzzle trimmed to fit into the shape on the board but does not belong because it clashes with the surrounding pieces and the lover was a mere ghost of the imagination of Alfaro, the woman who made a living informing on criminals. 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[2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! The San Jose police station eventually received and filed the complaint with the prosecutors office in Batangas City, only after my staff at Isumbong mo kay Tulfo told them Diazs arrogance would reach Camp Crame. The President has time and again said that he was very tired of running the country and, if he had his way, would have stepped down. There was entry of (former senator) Freddie Webb leaving the country in March 1991 but no Hubert Webb, De Lima said. Justice Villarama argued that a photocopy of Webbs passport in court to support his alibi and the testimonies of witnesses, mostly his relatives and friends, could not be given merit, by cautioning his fellow justices that it can be gleaned from the fact that passports and plane tickets indicating dates of arrival and departure do not necessarily prove that the very same person actually took the flight and added that indeed, alibi cannot be sustained where it is not only without credible corroboration, but also where it does not, on its face, demonstrate the physical impossibility of the accuseds presence at the place and time of the commission of the crime. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. I got my style of writing when I was a reporter, news writer and newsreader on radio during the pre-martial law era, and as a deskman and feature writer of the Philippines News Agency (PNA). The NBI is the agency responsible in providing security and protection of witnesses admitted under WPP. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. X' key to real perpetrators of Vizconde murders? Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. The Vizconde murder case, colloquially known as the Vizconde massacre, was the multiple homicide of members of the Vizconde family on June 30, 1991 at their residence at 80 Vinzons Street, BF Homes, Paraaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. (Update 6:47 p.m.) The Supreme Court (SC) has cast doubts on the credibility of Jessica Alfaro, the so-called star witness in the gruesome killings of three members of the Vizconde family almost two decades ago. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II May The Lord Be With Us, was released in 1994 and starred Vina Morales as Carmela and Joko Daz as an assailant. [30], In three separate occasions, police authorities mistakenly arrested persons they believed to be suspect Joey Filart: a namesake in August 1995, the same person again in February 2000, and a person from Compostela Valley in March 2000. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. It is time to heal the past. The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption(VACC) asked Justice Antonio Carpio and his cousin Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales to take a leave while the case is being decided to avoid undue influence on the court's decision. Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. The SCs decision affirming the guilty verdict by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City on the Abadilla Five, the five men accused in the murder of police colonel Rolando Abadilla on June 13, 1996, is already the subject of a final appeal filed on October 8, 2010. On August 11, 1999, the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City acquitted two of them and convicted the five others, now collectively known as the Abadilla Five. [3], The Inter-Agency Task Force assigned to reinvestigate Vizconde massacre case formed 6 teams or 3 parallel teams to look into 3 sets of suspects linked to the murders. I told my family that I did my best. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. The lower courts, however, reasoned that "Webb's alibi cannot stand against Alfaro's positive identification of him." The Villadolid brothers were mentioned by a certain Rhoda Pujanes alias Dang, who claimed she overheard Villadolid and his friends, including Miguel Rodriguez and Michael Gatchalian (both co-accused of Webb), talking about the massacre during a pot session in 1991. Among the defense witnesses was Artemio Sacaguing, a former, now deceased NBI official who testified that Alfaro was an NBI asset who only volunteered to assume the role of the eyewitness when she could not produce the actual witness to the Vizconde killings. G.R. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. Hello friends! The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. The readers will notice soon enough the brevity of each topic. Webb's reliance on the presumption of regularity of official functions, stressing the fact that the US-INS certifications are official documents, is misplaced. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. 185123/G.R. This policewoman is either ignorant of the law or plain lazy. al, 1995, G.R. She said the US-based defense witnesses, most of whom are relatives or friends of the Webb family suffered from "incorrigible and selective memory syndrome". The court also said the same for the issue of the garage light: she claimed that Ventura climbed the car's hood, using a chair, to turn the light off. The SC did not apply the two tests it invoked on the Vizconde case before accepting the positive identification of Alejo as credible, and him as a credible witness. Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. People cried for justice for the Vizcondes and one of the suspects was Hubert Webb, son of then Paraaque congressman Freddie Webb, who later became a senator. ), Moreover, Judge Tolentino also denied Webb's request to subject semen samples to DNA testing on the belief that the samples may no longer be intact. 2. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those wrongfully accused. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. The politician would only be allowed by the spouse to run if the party that this politician will join can come up with a big amount for their family. Movie producers and directors rode the wave of public outcry by creating true-to-life films based on such heinous crimes. [56][62][63][64] Dang claimed to have heard Dong Villadolid shouting at the top of his voice, saying they had raped and killed a certain Maria (presumed to be Maria Carmela Vizconde) and other persons. Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. Yes, but what can I do (?). This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine Senator, Freddie Webb; and six others from a wealthy family background similar to that of the accused. You are just a few clicks away from making During the trial, accused Webb made a defence of alibi claiming that he was in the United States when the massacre of the Vizcondes happened. al., 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vizconde_murders&oldid=1138122178, Loss of DNA evidence not a ground for outright acquittal. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. [17], On January 6, 2000, Judge Tolentino rendered her decision, finding Hubert Webb, Peter Estrada, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Antonio Lejano II and Miguel Rodriguez guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of rape with homicide. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. [65] One team uncovered Black Maria, a woman whom one witness said had told him she was with Webb's group inside the Vizconde home and saw the crime take place. The details of how they were killed were grim. About the Show; You May Also Like . Sources from the Department of Justice said Webb, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court last December, 2010, was in the country during and after the crime happened in . However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. But the grieving father couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies. White, on the other hand, said he saw the three cars enter the subdivision on the night of June 29, as Alfaro had testified; White also testified that policeman Gerardo Biong was the first to arrive at the crime scene. It was also not true that there was no showing that he (Alejo) was actuated by improper motive to testify falsely against the accused because the defence had since been challenging his credibility during the trial. 176864. Those initially jailed for. Webb had presented the alibi that he was in the United States when the crime was committed, but he was still found guilty by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court. I was a barbarian in my college years at the University of the Philippines. The lead suspect was Hubert Webb whose father, Freddie Webb was famous as an actor, former basketball player, and Paraaque congressman at the time of the murders. Alfaro implicated the children of wealthy and prominent families, including Hubert Webb, Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Vffrillaret and Artemio Ventura. The Jessica Alfaro Story in 1995 was meanwhile focused on the star witness, portrayed by Alice Dixson. Hell never return to the Philippines, said the Thai tourist whose cash was filched by Manila airport security personnel. Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. 2. A news report on Thursday in Business Mirror that headlined Senate grills defense brass on plans for EDCA expansion, sites raised much curiosity for its sheer lack of detailed information. The prosecutors, the RTC and the CA have been made aware of this fact by the defence. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. The court said that Alfaro was not a credible witness and that her "story of what she personally saw must be believable, not inherently contrived". Even if we were denied justice, I consoled them that at least people already know what really happened, he said. G/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road For those who havent heard aboutIsumbong, the public service program started at Radyo Veritas on June 1, 1991. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. 176389 / G.R. One of the important pieces of evidence, which I presented to the court later, was the copy of an invoice issued to Hubert Webb on coincidence of coincidences! Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. Copyright 2023. Her mother, Estrellita, 47, and sister, Jennifer, 7, were also killed. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. [50], On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court denied Lauro Vizconde's motion to reverse the acquittal because of double jeopardy. Call 896 6000. In rejecting the defence of the accused, the SC also affirmed the conjecture the CA had put forward as to the possibility that the accused could have been present or somewhere at the vicinity where the crime took place, as mentioned below: On Joel de Jesus, it was not impossible for him to have gone also Katipunan Avenue (from Quezon City where he was driving), which is also part of Quezon City, not to mention the fact that with his tricycle, he could have easily moved from one place to another; On Rameses de Jesus and Lenido Lumanog, their claims lack credence as they are unsupported by the testimonies of independent witnesses. Former NBI official Pedro Rivera however dismissed as lies the testimony of Sacaguing saying that Agent Sacaguing had a record of notoriety in the NBI which prompted his transfer to remote places of assignment until his early retirement. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. Justo Cabanacan, the security supervisor of the gated community, said that he saw Webb enter the gated community, although he did not record Webb entering in his log book. They are Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Cesar Fortuna, Rameses de Jesus and Joel de Jesus. The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. The court said the "portion of Alfaro's story appears tortured to accommodate the physical evidence of the ransacked house" adding that "it is a story made to fit in with the crime scene although robbery was supposedly not the reason Webb and his companions entered that house". After she finished the laundry, she went to the servant's quarters. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. . The CA rather held that positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction which was affirmed by the SC. The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. Given the financial resources and political influence of his family, it was not unlikely that Webb could have traveled back to the Philippines before June 2930, 1991 and then departed for the US again, and returning to the Philippines in October 1992. He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. He alleged that Webb bought illegal drugs from him on two other occasions in May 1991. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. [2] Lauro Vizconde, Estrellita's husband and the father of Carmela and Jennifer, was in the United States on business when the murders took place. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. White was mistaken in saying that Gatchalian and company went in and out of the gated community many times, since they only entered once. Carpio testified for the defense during the trial. LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde Democrito Barcenas, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City president and regional coordinator of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG): I think that most of the justices are right in their decision. VIZCONDE MASSACRE: 20 YEARS, TWO FACES OF JUSTICE Report by Maki Pulido It is one of the most controversial cases in the country's history, the most shocking crime in the 90s - the Vizconde Massacre. The SC required this test as necessary before a testimony of positive identification could be accepted as credible and with merit. Nephews had posted a banner declaring Truth prevails 20 years after and demanding Final justice for the Vizconde massacre victims, in apparent reference to government probers claims that, contrary to his alibi, released murder convict Hubert Webb never left the country. I found this As of yesterday, police had arrested and filed criminal charges against six fraternity members suspected to have beaten to death John Matthew Salilig in a twisted concept ofbrotherhood. The remains of his wife and daughters were also exhumed from their grave at Holy Cross Memorial Park in Quezon City and transferred to his grave. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. Sison was ordered to desist from further investigating that angle by then Philippine National Police Capital Region Commander Marino Filart after six members of akyat bahay gang (burglars) were arrested by Regional Police Unit in October 1991. The massacre and surrounding events were depicted in the 1993 film The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) The case remained unsolved for almost four years until eyewitness, Jessica Alfaro Testified that Hubert Webb is the lead suspect and responsible of the crime committed. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. MANILA, Philippines - Six new witnesses reveal Hubert Webb, son of former Senator Freddie Webb, was in the Philippines when the Vizconde massacre took place on June 1991. [9] They were acquitted by a trial judge in September 1993 for insufficient evidence.[9]. He adds, this Court takes judicial notice of reported irregularities and tampering of passports in the years prior to the recent issuance by the Department of Foreign Affairs(DFA) of machine-readable passports. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. Alfaro could not possibly prove the relationship between Hubert and Carmela, as they were strangers to each other, and Alfaro also could not have possibly identified the other accused because all of them were strangers to her. Lorenzo delos Santos was acquitted due to lack of evidence, but the RTC, the CA and the SC ignored that fact that the same positive identification it invoked in convicting the Abadilla Five came from exactly the same testimonies that have been used to acquit Delos Santos. Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. Alfaro said that when she went back to the house, she saw the bodies of Estrellita and Jennifer on the bed and Webb raping Carmela on the floor. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. All of these had been applied in acquitting the accused in the Vizconde case, which is contradictory to its earlier decision affirming the conviction of the Abadilla Five. TV-14. He and six others spent 15 years in jail. InVizconde case: Jessica Alfaros positive identification was rejected because she did not meet the test of a credible witness and that what she personally saw must be believable, not inherently contrived.
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