Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. "[29] In general, the court said that Alfaro's story "lacks sense or suffers from inherent inconsistencies. The court also said that it was "possible for Alfaro to lie" on the details of the case. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. [23] On November 26, 2010, Lauro Vizconde voiced his concern to media about the purported lobbying of Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio for the reversal of the guilty verdict. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. [15] The accused alleged that by rejecting 132 of the 142 pieces of evidence, Tolentino had set the tone for their conviction. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. 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. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. Carpio testified for the defense during the trial. Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. Hello friends! 5. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. But both the RTC and the CA rejected his defence ruling that his alibi cannot stand against Alfaros positive identification of him as the rapist and killer. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vizconde said he was optimistic about finding more witnesses.. Please try again. After she finished the laundry, she went to the servant's quarters. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. Copyright 2023. That's all crap! It defended the attack on Alejos credibility, for example, his inconsistencies on the number of gunmen, arguing that this had already been explained by Alejo during cross-examination by correcting his earlier statement and that the affidavits, being ex-parte, are almost always incomplete and often inaccurate, but do not really detract from the credibility of witnesses. [55], On June 28, 2011, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Hubert Webb was in the Philippines when the murders took place. 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. [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. 182555/G.R. I stand by my story. No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. 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. [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. She did not know nor met any of them. God does not teach us to retaliate. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. But I could not work there), Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. Estrellita, 47, had suffered thirteen stab wounds; Carmela, 18, had suffered seventeen stab wounds and had been raped before she was killed; and Jennifer, 7, had nineteen stab . Their original conviction was capital punishment but their sentence was modified to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished. Hong Kong Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday said the government task force re-investigating the 1991 Vizconde massacre case has found another witness and was convincing him to come out in public and Eh di sana may sweldo ako. She admitted to knowing Webb and company but denied knowledge of the Vizconde massacre, NBI Death Investigation Division head Romulo Asis said. Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. The trial of the case having been long concluded, the requirements of the law may have been satisfied, but not the demands of justice. 3. The 47-year-old Estrellita had 13 stab wounds. The NBI is the agency responsible in providing security and protection of witnesses admitted under WPP. The case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. Therefore, the applications of the SC on evaluating the defence of alibi of the accused have not been equally applied in these two cases. Kung di ninyo ako pinabayaan, 'di ako magkakaganito. (Fuck you all! Vizconde is clinging to the hope that even if this period ended Thursday, more concerned citizens will approach the National Bureau of Investigation to corroborate claims made by new witnesses that Webb was seen in BF Homes, Paraaque City, at the time of the murders. Allan (surname intentionally omitted), stepfather of a 16-year-old girl who was nearly raped by a neighbor, went with his daughter to the police station in San Jose, Batangas recently to file a complaint. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. The Vizconde Massacre was the multiple homicide of members of the Vizconde family on June 30, 1991 at their residence in BF Homes, Paraaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. All rights are reserved. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. Early Thursday, Lauro Vizconde went to Holy Cross Memorial Park and laid bouquets of roses on the tombs of his wife and daughters. [4] In the Trial Court (People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et al., G.R. I am not an NBI agent nor an NBI asset. [29], In his dissenting opinion, Justice Villarama argued that the claim of Webb that he could not have committed the crime because he left for the United States on March 9, 1991, and returned to the Philippines only on October 26, 1992, was correctly rejected by the Regional Trial Court and Court of Appeals. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. Ho Man Tin, Kowloon This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. 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". The story of the Vizconde Massacre wasn't just a single story; it varied as told by a number of witnesses. Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. The court noted the inconsistency between Alfaro's testimony of Webb being Carmela's boyfriend, who had no reason in breaking the glass panel of the house's front door to enter the house; Alfaro said that Webb "picked up some stone and, out of the blue, hurled it at the glass-paneled front door". I was a barbarian in my college years at the University of the Philippines. Hell never return to the Philippines, said the Thai tourist whose cash was filched by Manila airport security personnel. Jennifer Diaz, chief of the women and childrens desk, told Allan to file the complaint with the barangay where they reside. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. The CA rather held that positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction which was affirmed by the SC. 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. Kaya laban lang tayo. I will continue to play that role as long as I live. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. No. 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. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to indemnify the Vizconde family Php 3 million for the murders. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. I told my family that I did my best. vs. Raul de Leon et. The SC also held that it was possible for Alfaro to know the details about the Vizconde killings because she had prior access to the details that the investigators knew of the case. 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". In a decision dated January 6, 2000, Paraaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted Webb and the co . 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. The Vizconde Massacre. About the Show; You May Also Like . [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. White was mistaken in saying that Gatchalian and company went in and out of the gated community many times, since they only entered once. due to "overwhelming evidence that showed Webb and the other accused had conspired to rape Carmela and, in the process, kill her and the rest of the family." I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". 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. Abadilla Case Decision from the Court of Appeals:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-CAdecision.pdf. 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. Like the accused in the Vizconde case and for any other cases for that matter, the accused in the Abadilla murder case also deserve equal protection of the law. [5] The other defendants were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. 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! ABADILLA MURDER CASE: This case is about the murder of Rolando Abadilla, a police colonel during Marcos regime, at 8:30 on June 13, 1996 at the Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. She added that suspect Miguel Rodriguez warned her to "shut up or you're gonna get killed" in the same disco on April 8, 1995, prompting her to voluntarily submit herself to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for protection. 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. In their alibis, Joel de Jesus claimed he was driving his passenger tricycle in Fairview, Quezon City the whole day; for SPO2 Cesar Fortuna, he was at Camp Crame (headquarters of the Philippine National Police, PNP) for official business and his presence was also corroborated by two police officials whom he had transacted business with; for Augusto Santos, he was at the Jose Fabella Hospital in Sta. To support this, Webb presented a Certification issued by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service of August 31, 1995 confirming that his entry into that country was recorded. Therefore, the SCs rejection of Villamaras opinion demonstrates a fundamental contradiction to its September 7 decision on the Abadilla case. The CA in effect crafted and formulated the conjectures giving them the appreciation similar to facts offered as evidence where it had based the judgment. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. Rey and Jerry claimed they saw Webb playing basketball between the months of June and July 1991 during a league in BF Homes. It is hard to believe this there is a record of supposed arrival from other country but no record of departure in 1991 or in any month of 1991, she said. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. [10] According to the footage of the trial, Alfaro had been able to identify all the defendants by their names. Her mother, Estrellita, 47, and sister, Jennifer, 7, were also killed. [61], The findings also point to another set of suspects, namely Dong Villadolid and his brother Bing. LYN RILLON. According to Rivera, Sacaguing was never part of the NBI team assigned to investigate the Vizconde massacre and that his former colleague took Alfaro's statement in April 1995 without the presence of a lawyer. The fight is not over. Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. 1. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. She also testified that Biong received money at a house that she later learned belonged to then Paraaque Congressman Freddie Webb; the Webb family's maids, Mila Gaviola and Nerissa Rosales, who both testified that Hubert Webb was at home on June 30, 1991. June 14, 1993 - Vizconde Massacre solved; 'brains,' three others fall Police finish investigation of the Vizconde case with the arrest of the suspected mastermind and three other suspects,. Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. Indeed, her superior testified that she volunteered to play the role of a witness in the Vizconde killings when she could not produce a man she promised to the NBI. Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. Alfaro also said that she bumped into Biong at the Faces Disco in Makati in March 1995 and relayed to her the offer of the group to give her a free ticket to the United States to shut her up. Vizconde should go after the national government. Lejano and Ventura also took turns raping Carmela, before finishing her off with numerous stabs. ), Among evidence that was not admitted by Judge Tolentino, was the note verbale from the United States Embassy in Manila claiming that Webb entered the United States in March 1991 and left in October 1992. The SCs decision in acquitting all the accused in the Vizconde case has fundamental contradictions to its earlier decision affirming the guilty verdict of the accused in the Abadilla case. The ballistic test results also did not match to any of the firearms supposedly taken from the accused to the empty shells that were recovered at the crime scene. The massacre and surrounding events were depicted in the 1993 film The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. On January 4, 2000, the Regional Trial Court of Paranaque City rendered its judgement finding all the accused guilty as charged imposing a penalty of life imprisonment. [9] They were acquitted by a trial judge in September 1993 for insufficient evidence.[9]. As a host of the program that carries my surname, I and my all-female staff have handled complaints from citizens, concerning abusive or arrogant policemen and other government functionaries. Alfaro said Estrellita was killed before Webb began to rape Carmela. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. VIZCONDE MASSACRE CASE: This case is about the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman, the murder of her 7-year-old sister and their mother on June 30, 1991 at their home in Paranaque City, Metro Manila. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. Guillermo Lorenzo Guilor Eleazar, recently appointed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), bows out on Nov. 13 this year when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56. I got involved in the case after Webb told me Hubert, whose name was slowly cropping up in news reports as a prime suspect, was in the United States when the dastardly crime happened. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. No. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. You will regret it.[58][59] Jack, a village security guard who kept records of the village where Webb lived said he saw Hubert Webb during the time of the massacre. 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. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. The DoJ also placed Alfaro under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the trial period. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. Suspicions, no matter how strong they are, must never sway judgment. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. 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. In open court, he already said there were six, not four assailants; that it was two other gunmen, not one of the four present close to the car who pointed the gun at him; and he was not nervous but rather had the opportunity to see the faces of all the assailants facing him all at the same time. Alfaro, who had "practically lived" at the NBI's offices, would have been able to hear about the details, and gain access to the documents, without difficulty. October 1, 1996 Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paraaque RTC rejected 132 of the defense's 142 pieces of evidence. 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. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. On the contrary, it reopens it. When we die, that is when we will be given the whole truth May the Lord console you in all your afflictions, The priest said.