The court also amended the award of damages from 100,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos, and also upheld the conviction of Biong as accessory to the crime "by abusing his public functions to conceal and destroy the physical evidence in order to prevent the discovery of the crime and by allowing the destruction of the physical evidence, Biong facilitated the escape of the principal accused. The Vizconde Massacre | Shows | discovery+ . They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. "[29] In general, the court said that Alfaro's story "lacks sense or suffers from inherent inconsistencies. The SC, however, upheld the RTC and the CAs judgement that the defence of alibi of the accused is a weak defense, (and that) for it to prosper, the accused must prove not only that he was at some other place at the time of the commission of the crime, but also, that it was physically impossible for him to be or within its immediate vicinity. LYN RILLON. Webb wanted Alfaro, the then-girlfriend of one of the accused men, Peter Estrada, to join them because Estrellita Vizconde only allowed her daughter to go out and entertain female visitors. No. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. 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! This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. Carpio testified for the defense during the trial. [29], The court said that "among the accused, Webb presented the strongest alibi". It held that the acquittal of their co-accused does not necessarily benefit the appellants. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". It took the trial and appeal process in this case fifteen years. On SPO2 Cesar Fortuna, the RTC, the CA and the SC, accepted the fact that he was at Camp Crame, but the SC affirmed the RTC and the CAs conjecture that it was not impossible for him to have gone to Katipunan road, Blue Ridge, which is relatively near Camp Crame when the shooting happened around 8.40 in the morning. InAbadilla case: The SC affirmed the CAs judgement as inconclusive the use of forensic evidence, for example, the fingerprints and ballistic test results, showing that none of the five accused had their fingerprints match to those extracted from the murder victims car. New Vizconde massacre witness found | Inquirer News The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. Apart from Alejo, earlier there was another witness, Merlito Herbas. Another accused, Joey Filart also fled to the United States. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. 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. VIZCONDE MASSACRE: After 20 Years | GMA News Online On the night of June 29, 1991, Asuncion was supposed to have a sleepover with Jennifer at the latters home in Paraaque City. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. :Isumbongwill make a comeback on PTV-4 on June 12, 2021. I will kill you, brandishing a shiny revolver. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm On June 30, 1991, 47-year-old housewife Estrellita Vizconde and daughters Carmela, 18, and Jennifer, 7, were found dead in their residence in BF Homes in Paraaque. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. The prosecutors, the RTC and the CA have been made aware of this fact by the defence. Methinks one year would give Eleazar ample time impose his brand of discipline on one of the most undisciplined police forces in the world. 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. 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. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. The majority of the justices also rejected as conjecture the argument of one of the dissenting justices, Martin Villarama Jr., that it would not have been impossible during the interregnum for Webb to travel back to the country and again fly to the US several times considering that the travel time on board an airline from the Philippines to San Francisco, and from San Francisco to the Philippines takes only about twelve (12) to fourteen (14) hours. At the end of February, the Bureau of Fire Protection held a parade featuring some of its trucks and equipment as well as new regular personnel: women firefighters. God does not teach us to retaliate. 'Ms. 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. Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. She cited the testimony of Alex del Toro, husband of Webb's relative, who said he hired Hubert Webb as an employee at his pesticide company in California. Evid. Vizconde massacre case: Back to square one | ABS-CBN News Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. Their original conviction was capital punishment but their sentence was modified to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. No. 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. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. [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. The Vizconde massacre revisited | ABS-CBN News Kung di ninyo ako pinabayaan, 'di ako magkakaganito. (Fuck you all! Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. It held that a positive declaration from a witness that he saw the accused commit the crime should not automatically cancel out the accuseds claim that he did not do it. Hell never return to the Philippines, said the Thai tourist whose cash was filched by Manila airport security personnel. Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. Massacre case in 1991 Webb was accused of raping Carmela Vizconde, 18, who was killed in her family's Paraaque home on June 30, 1991. 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. 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. 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." 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 Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. The other accused were Artemio Dong Ventura, Michael A. Gatchalian, Hospicio Pyke Fernandez, Peter Estrada, Miguel Ging Rodriguez, and Joey Filart. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! Thus, her testimony could not be admitted. About the Show; You May Also Like . That's all crap! For example, it rejected as not impartial the corroborating testimony of Augusto Santoss brother-in-law that he was at the hospital with him when Abadilla was murdered. The court also said that it was "possible for Alfaro to lie" on the details of the case. People vs. Bello, G.R. Forensic evidence: In Vizconde case it cannot lie, in Abadilla case it is inconclusive. The SC acquitted all the accused, reversing and dismissing the guilty verdict of the RTC and the CA. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. Webb's testimony was also contradicted by other US-based defense witnesses who said they usually saw him "going to the beach, malling, bar-hopping or playing basketball. I told my family that I did my best. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. The lower courts, the Supreme Court said, held that "Webb was actually in Paraaque when the Vizconde killings took place". 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. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. Lauro Vizconde the husband of Estrellita and father of Carmela and Jennifer, was in the United State on business when the murders took place. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. 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. He alleged that he could not forget Webb because Biong had allegedly threatened him, Do not cheat him. Be consoled that the truth will always come out, Hernandez advised Vizconde. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. 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. As to the failure to present the forensic evidence and its subsequent loss, the SC held: the semen specimen taken from Carmela cannot possibly lie. Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. Secondly, in the Abadilla case the SC held that the defense of alibi is weak, but in the Vizconde case it held that not all denials and alibis should be regarded as fabricated. Since I was introduced to The STAR readers in the front page, Ill hit the ground running. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. Both the SC and the CA affirmed the RTCs sentence of guilty verdict without applying the test on the credibility of a witness as they did in Vizconde case. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. 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. 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. 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. References: However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. 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. He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. 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. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. Hong Kong Lejano and Ventura also took turns raping Carmela, before finishing her off with numerous stabs. 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. Corona." There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. Secondly, Alfaros quality as a witness and her inconsistent, if not inherently unbelievable, testimony cannot be the positive identification that jurisprudence acknowledges as sufficient. [52] On June 14, 2011, Hubert Webb filed a P180,000 compensation claim for "unlawful conviction" for the Vizconde massacre. God would be stupid to borrow Digongs words if He gifts him the vice presidency the second time around. Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. The court ruled that Alfaro was "a stool pigeon, one who earned her living by fraternizing with criminals so she could squeal on them to her NBI handlers." 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. A local elected official whos being groomed to run for a national office is being sold to the highest bidder by the politicians spouse. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. Nos. Police assets are often criminals themselves. [60] De Lima believed Dong Villadolid is the same person as Dong Ventura, one of the co-accused who fled to the US following the massacre. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. SC acquits Hubert Webb, 6 others in Vizconde massacre When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. 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. 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. 3. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. De Lima said they could still go after Filart and Ventura, as well as the Villadolid brothers, since the prescriptive period of 20 years for homicide does not apply to them because they were abroad. [6][7][8] The suspects said they were tortured and forced to confess to the crime before they were presented by Filart to the media. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. Copyright 2023. The filming location took place in the actual home of the Vizconde's where the massacre took place on June 30, 1991. Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. 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 Paraaque policeman Gerardo Biong was found guilty as an accessory for burning bedsheets and tampering with other evidence in the crime. His intention was very, very dubious, he said. al., 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vizconde_murders&oldid=1138122178, Loss of DNA evidence not a ground for outright acquittal. 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. ), 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. [50], On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court denied Lauro Vizconde's motion to reverse the acquittal because of double jeopardy. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. [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. With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. With Romeo Vasquez, Elizabeth Oropesa, Robert Arevalo, Tommy Abuel. 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. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. 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 murders remained unsolved for almost four years, until eyewitness Jessica Alfaro, a self-confessed former drug addict, came forward on April 28, 1995, to shed light on the massacre. vs. People of the Philippines et al., 1997, G.R. All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. 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". Biong walks free, insists he's innocent | ABS-CBN News By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! - sirasa.dixiesewing.com She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. 182555/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. Powered by, Appendix: Case analysis: Supreme Courts rulings on Vizconde and Abadilla cases are contradictory, http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm, http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm, http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf, http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-CAdecision.pdf. She had been hanging around that agency for sometime as a stool pigeon, one paid for mixing up with criminals and squealing on them. This site uses cookies. Webb's travel documents and other paper trail of his stay in the US are unreliable proof of his absence in the Philippines at the time of the commission of the crime charged. [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". 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. I stand by my story. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories - Anchor 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. 4. InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. 150 likes. The unconstitutionality of prior restraint. [56] According to De Lima, all the new witnesses passed the polygraph test. The Jessica Alfaro Story in 1995 was meanwhile focused on the star witness, portrayed by Alice Dixson. 127262 Hubert Webb, et al. X' key to real perpetrators of Vizconde murders? Hubert Jeffrey Webb sought for an acquittal after he had found out that the NBI could no longer produce the DNA specimen extracted from the cadaver of the rape victim. She did not know nor met any of them. Kaya laban lang tayo. [11], Alfaro's testimony was corroborated by other witnesses including: Lolita Birrer, a former live-in partner of policeman Gerardo Biong, who narrated the manner of how Biong investigated and tried to cover up the crime. [2][3] Estrellita Vizconde, 49, suffered thirteen stab wounds; Carmela Vizconde, 19, suffered seventeen stab wounds and had been raped before she was killed; and Anne Marie Jennifer, 6, had nineteen stab wounds. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. 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 . On April this year, the Webbs filed an urgent motion to acquit when they found out that the NBI no longer has custody of the specimen that was taken from the body of the rape victim, Carmela Visconde. 'Hubert Webb was in PH during Vizconde massacre' - ABS-CBN News Alfaro said Estrellita was killed before Webb began to rape Carmela. You are just a few clicks away from making [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. I went to the US to check on senator Webbs allegations I paid for my fare and accommodation, by the way and found that, indeed, Hubert was there when the Vizconde women were being butchered at their home in Paraaque. No. No. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. To find out more, please click this link. Your subscription could not be saved. Call 896 6000. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. ", Jessica Alfaro: Alfaro's e-mail from abroad read. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. She did not show up at the NBI as a spontaneous witness (only after four years) bothered by her conscience. The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene. No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. Villarama noted that the alleged Passport, Passenger Manifest of United Airlines Flight and United Airline ticket of accused Webb offered in evidence were mere photocopies of an alleged original, which were never presented. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. . 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. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. Thus the SC decision on the Vizconde massacre is flawed, Paguia averred, citing a portion of Fortich v. Corona, 312 SCRA 751, at 758 where the SC itself ruled that unless the minimum number of EIGHT votes for a majority is attained there is no decision to speak of, therefore the release order of the Webb group should not have been signed. [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. February 26, 2021. . Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. 24, Rule 134, R. On December 14, 2010, the SC rendered its decision on the appeals of the accused, questioning the guilty verdict by the RTC and the CA. G.R. [57] The witnesses include an electrician, a drug dealer, a couple of neighborhood basketball players, a hairdresser and a village security guard. 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. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. Let the love of God prevail. 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.
Brisbane Crime Rate By Suburb,
Charlie Heartstopper Birthday,
Deana Jennings Obituary,
California Southern University Lawsuit,
Articles T