the truth about vizconde massacre

Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. Eleazar, a strict disciplinarian, is probably the only PNP chief who is loved and respected by the citizenry. vs. People of the Philippines et al., 1997, G.R. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. This column will tackle various topics on the days it will come out: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Their original conviction was capital punishment but their sentence was modified to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished. 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. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. The AHRC is deeply concerned by the contradiction in the application of jurisprudence by the SC in these cases, particularly its ruling on positive identification, the credibility of witness and its appreciation of forensic evidence. G/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road 3. For example, the prosecutor, instead of admitting Alejo to the WPP during trial, rather chose instead to allow the Abadillas, who had an interest in Alejos testimony, to make him dependent on them for his livelihood at least for the duration of the trial of the case. 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. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm vs. Raul de Leon et. The court also said that if Webb was in the U.S. when the crime was committed, the Alfaro's testimony would not hold together: "Without it, the evidence against the others must necessarily fall. Cabanacan said Webb had entered the subdivision (where the Vizconde house was located) a few days before the massacre and that he even identified himself as the son of then Congressman Webb. But the grieving father couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. But her parents did not allow her to go. 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. 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. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vizconde said he was optimistic about finding more witnesses.. Anyone can be paid! The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. I told my family that I did my best. Vizconde should go after the national government. 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. No acquittal has been made as to the two accused, Filart and Ventura, who remain at-large. [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. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. 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. 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. Eh di sana may sweldo ako. 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. [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. 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. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. 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. 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. Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. Executive M/Sgt. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. 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 . Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. 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. [5] The other defendants were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. ), 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. The CA rather held that positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction which was affirmed by the SC. Hello friends! Ho Man Tin, Kowloon This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. Choose Gods endless kind of love., Hernandez also reminded Vizconde that he now had three saints in Heaven.. Kaya laban lang tayo. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. The fight is not over. White was mistaken in saying that Gatchalian and company went in and out of the gated community many times, since they only entered once. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. Policewoman Diaz even insulted Allan, saying he had no right to file the attempted rape complaint on behalf of the girl, because he was only the stepfather. 1. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. Several jeepney drivers groups have called for an unprecedented one-week strike next week to demand extension of the deadline for phasing out traditional vehicles and replacing them with modern It will take over 200 years for women to be at par with men, a news report from Davos said. Alejos testimonies in open court were also not consistent to what he had said to the police investigators immediately after the murder. 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). About the Show; You May Also Like . The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw the attention of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines to its recent decision on two well-known cases tried in the lower courts; the conviction in the Vizconde Massacre case was overturned while that of the Abadilla murder case was affirmed. 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". 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. 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. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. 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. 150 likes. Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. 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. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. Lauro Vizconde on Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the murders of his wife and two daughters at his residence in BF Homes, Paraaque City. But Villaramas opinion was not considered by the SC in their majority decision. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. The Vizconde murders remained unsolved for almost four years, until 1995 when eyewitness Jessica Alfaro, a self-confessed drug addict, came forward on April 28, 1995, to shed light on the massacre. [15] The accused alleged that by rejecting 132 of the 142 pieces of evidence, Tolentino had set the tone for their conviction. No. Alfaro said she was then having reservations when she first executed the first affidavit and held back vital information due to her natural reaction of mistrust. 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. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. MANILA, Philippines - A former policeman who was jailed for allegedly tampering with evidence in the 1991 Vizconde massacre insists he is innocent of any crime after being released from prison Tuesday. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. 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. 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. 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. 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. [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. Yes, but what can I do (?). [60], Although Webb's group can no longer be retried because of double jeopardy, De Lima said the purpose of the reinvestigation was to uncover the truth and bring closure to Lauro Vizconde.[65][66]. The case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. One of the justices, Roberto Abad, who dissented the majority decision affirming the guilty verdict wrote: the public prosecutor chose instead to allow the Abadillas, who had an interest in Alejos testimony, to make him dependent on them for his livelihood at least for the duration of the trial of the case. 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. 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. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. 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. In a decision dated January 6, 2000, Paraaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted Webb and the co . The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! Person of interest in hazing case of Adamson student found dead, Jeepney phaseout: Its more than just new vehicles, Sandiganbayan convicts ex-Pagcor chair Genuino of graft, House energy committee chair Arroyo bats for cheap electricity, LIVE UPDATES: Face-to-face classes, work suspended as transport strike looms, vivo announces PHP 1,000 price drop on vivo V25e, Kickstart summer with vivos hot smartphone deals this 3.3, Over 24,000 hectares of coral reef at risk following Mindoro oil spill, Frat members planned to burn Adamson hazing victims body police | INQToday, Joey de Leon laughs off Eat Bulaga rebranding rumors; Tito Sotto meets up with show producer Tony Tuviera, LIST: LGUs, schools suspend face-to-face classes, work as transport strike looms, NBA: Devin Booker, Suns cruise past Bulls in second half. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". . But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. But to Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court, the truth was the account of star witness Jessica Alfaro. [29], The court also held that the testimony of the Webb's maid, Mila Gaviola, was also unreliable since she was not able to distinguish if it was Hubert whom she saw on June 30, 1991, nor "did she remember any of the details that happened in the household on the other days". Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. [60] Mario, a hair stylist during the period June 1991, testified that Webb, along with Tony Boy Lejano and Dong Ventura had their haircut. It strictly laid down these as the least requirement in evaluating the credibility of the claim of positive identification. To find out more, please click this link. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! 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 . 1. No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. 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. No. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. In the Philippines in 1992, the Vizconde Massacre, which saw the murder of multiple women who had been stabbed to death, created an investigation full of problems. 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. TV-14. But, unlike the house robbers, however the court points out that "Webb and his friends did not have anything to do in a darkened garage. The court also said that it was "possible for Alfaro to lie" on the details of the case. 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. Police assets are often criminals themselves. Among those present were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona; Arsenio Boy Evangelista, father of carjack victim Venson Evangelista; Dacer-Corbito witness Cezar Mancao and his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio; and members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC). This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . Webb's reliance on the presumption of regularity of official functions, stressing the fact that the US-INS certifications are official documents, is misplaced. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to indemnify the Vizconde family Php 3 million for the murders. She did not show up at the NBI as a spontaneous witness (only after four years) bothered by her conscience. 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. He and six others spent 15 years in jail. [50], On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court denied Lauro Vizconde's motion to reverse the acquittal because of double jeopardy. Sign up now! Evid. 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." 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. 3. True Crime. 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. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. 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. [29], The court said that "among the accused, Webb presented the strongest alibi". Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. On the contrary, it reopens it. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. 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." a contribution to Human Rights work, Asian Human Rights Commission Lauro Vizconde the husband of Estrellita and father of Carmela and Jennifer, was in the United State on business when the murders took place. The Vizconde massacre has been dubbed as the trial of the century as the accused hailed from prominent families of the Philippines. 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. 808 bound for New York and who expressed doubt on whether Hubert Webb was his co-passenger in the trip; NBI medico-legal Dr. Prospero Cabanayan, Belen Dometita and Teofilo Minoza, two of the Vizconde maids; and Manciano Gatmaitan, an engineer. [2] Tolentino said the certificates issued by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration "could have easily been obtained by the powerful Webb family". 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. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. 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. After reading about how responsive Secretary Benhur Abalos is to matters raised by the media, some members of the PNP, particularly in the province of Iloilo, have shared through channels about their operational Local producers wont like it, but it looks like in the near future, there will be a flood of imported agricultural commodities. The NBI is the agency responsible in providing security and protection of witnesses admitted under WPP. 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. This policewoman is either ignorant of the law or plain lazy.

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