Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . The court considered the accused's "lack of interest in having such test done" in which they concluded that the state "cannot be deemed put on reasonable notice that it would be required to produce the semen specimen at some future time".[29]. 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. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. 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. They are Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Cesar Fortuna, Rameses de Jesus and Joel de Jesus. Alfaro accused Hubert Webb, son of former senator Freddie Webb, as the mastermind of the massacre, along with five other men, all coming from prominent families. 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. 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. 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. The prosecutors, the RTC and the CA have been made aware of this fact by the defence. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. 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. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Be consoled that the truth will always come out, Hernandez advised Vizconde. The fight is not over. The people urging President Rodrigo Digong Duterte to run for vice president in the 2022 elections are making fun of him. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. She said that when she entered Hubert's room, she saw him wearing only his pants, awake and smoking in bed. ), 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 47-year-old Estrellita had 13 stab wounds. Call 896 6000. God does not teach us to retaliate. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. 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. Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. 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. 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. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. On June 30, 1991, three Vizconde women Estrellita, 49; her 19-year-old daughter, Carmela and the younger Jennifer, 6 were found dead in their home at BF Homes Village in Paraaque. 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. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. 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. [52] On June 14, 2011, Hubert Webb filed a P180,000 compensation claim for "unlawful conviction" for the Vizconde massacre. [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. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. "I doubt that at this time, physical evidence will be available because a lapse of time has taken place, but that's the only way we can find the true killers." Run after Alfaro 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". 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. But big offenses, such as rape or attempted rape, should be filed with the police or the prosecutors office. :Isumbongwill make a comeback on PTV-4 on June 12, 2021. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. 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 SC acquitted all the accused, reversing and dismissing the guilty verdict of the RTC and the CA. Thus, it was not surprising for Alfaro to testify with great details in court. 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. X' key to real perpetrators of Vizconde murders? Alejos testimonies in open court were also not consistent to what he had said to the police investigators immediately after the murder. 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. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. Their original conviction was capital punishment but their sentence was modified to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished. 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 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. With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. [56] According to De Lima, all the new witnesses passed the polygraph test. 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 passing away of Lauro Vizconde a few days ago does not close the sad chapter on the tragedy known as the Vizconde massacre. There was entry of (former senator) Freddie Webb leaving the country in March 1991 but no Hubert Webb, De Lima said. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. 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. 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. 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. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. 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. 1. Abadilla Case Decision from the Court of Appeals:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-CAdecision.pdf. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". [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. [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. Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. The film claims to have been based on new evidence from the then-ongoing trial. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. True Crime. Indeed, the testimony of a single witness, when positive and credible, is sufficient to support a conviction even for murder. 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. But Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, who concurred with the decision, wrote strongly against basing judgement on conjectures: Facts decide cases. 187745. No. 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. Once again, the SCs applications of jurisprudence on the admissibility of forensic evidence in criminal trial have not been equally applied. 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. 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. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. Hello friends! ), 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. At about 4 a.m. on June 30, 1991, Gaviola woke up and entered the bedrooms to get the Webb's dirty laundry and wash it as part of her job. [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. 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. Corona." We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. Carpio testified for the defense during the trial. Rodolfo Sison, the police investigator originally assigned to the case in 1991. Firstly, in the Vizconde case, the SC still held as credible the corroborating testimonies of the witnesses favouring Hubert Jeffrey who are mostly his relatives and friends in support of his defence of alibi. Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. In rejecting questions to Alejos credibility, the SC affirmed the CAs ruling that the credible testimony of a lone witness(es) assumes more weight when there is no showing that he was actuated by improper motive to testify falsely against the accused, as in the case of Freddie Alejo. 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. . [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. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. I was a barbarian in my college years at the University of the Philippines. Massacre era. Copyright 2023. Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures. Inconsistencies: In Vizconde case damages credibility, in Abadilla case does not. The SC required this test as necessary before a testimony of positive identification could be accepted as credible and with merit. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. The Vizconde massacre made headlines in the Philippines in the '90s and started a trend in filmmaking. In the said stockroom, there is a small door going to Hubert's room and in that door there is a small opening where she used to see Hubert and his friends sniffing on something. 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. Herbas had testified for the defence instead of the prosecution when the Abadilla did not fulfil his promise to give him (Herbas) exactly the same salary he was receiving and when he was told that he would no longer be presented as witness because the testimony of Alejo would be sufficient. Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde She did not know nor met any of them. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. TV-14. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. Abadilla Case Petition for Review on Certiorario:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf No. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. 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. June 30, 1991 for a bicycle he bought from a store in Orange County, Los Angeles, California. It strictly laid down these as the least requirement in evaluating the credibility of the claim of positive identification. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. De Lima said it was possible that it was Black Maria who was in the Vizconde home and not Jessica Alfaro, the NBI's star witness during the trial. Apart from Alejo, earlier there was another witness, Merlito Herbas. The DoJ also placed Alfaro under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the trial period. On the acquittal of Lorenzo delos Santos, the accused whom Alejo had also positively identified, it ruled that his acquittal did not damage Alejos credibility; and his positive identification of the accused. [53], Lauro Vizconde, family patriarch and the founding president of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, died on February 13, 2016, at the age of 77. The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. I will kill you, brandishing a shiny revolver. This column will tackle various topics on the days it will come out: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Eighteen-year-old daughter Carmela was raped, and had 17 stab wounds. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. 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." White was mistaken in saying that Gatchalian and company went in and out of the gated community many times, since they only entered once. G.R. 16:53. 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! The prosecution of this case only began in August 10, 1995, four years after the massacre happened, when Jessica Alfaro, an informant working for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), told lawyer Artemio Sacaguing, an official of the NBI, that she knew someone who had the real story behind the Vizconde massacre. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. [57] The witnesses include an electrician, a drug dealer, a couple of neighborhood basketball players, a hairdresser and a village security guard. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. (1994) Details Release date June 24, 1993 (Philippines) Country of origin Philippines Languages English Filipino Tagalog Filming locations By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. 24, Rule 134, R. Let the love of God prevail. He alleged that he could not forget Webb because Biong had allegedly threatened him, Do not cheat him. 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. I am not an NBI agent nor an NBI asset. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. LYN RILLON. Hong Kong Nos. Vizconde said his quest for justice was continuing despite the end of the prescription period for the prosecution of his familys killers. InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. Alfaro said Estrellita was killed before Webb began to rape Carmela. 150 likes. Who does forget the heart-crushing 1991 Visconde massacre, with Jessica Alfaro standing as the star witness, whistle-blowing the details how these young men before, coming from our society's influential families, killed Mang Lauro's wife and his two daughters. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. It was Alejo who had positively identified Joel and Lorenzo (delos Santos) during a police line-up. The presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. 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,. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. Therefore, the SCs rejection of Villamaras opinion demonstrates a fundamental contradiction to its September 7 decision on the Abadilla case. 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. 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. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm Unreliability of Jessica Alfaro's testimony: Alfaro had prior knowledge on the facts of the case having been an, Alfaro was not able to explain why the house was ransacked if robbery was not the motive of Webb and his group, Unreliability of testimony from other witnesses, Alfaro's testimony will fall apart if Webb was not at the crime scene and will relieve the others accused of the crime. [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. [55], On June 28, 2011, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Hubert Webb was in the Philippines when the murders took place. [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. Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. 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. 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. He and six others spent 15 years in jail. Cruz, Manila accompanying his brother-in-law, Jonas Padel Ayhon, whose wife had just given birth; and Rameses de Jesus and Lenido Lumanog had just left Manila for Mabalacat, Pampanga where they stayed until the evening of June 14. It took the trial and appeal process in this case fifteen years. [11], The defense produced documents and presented 95 witnesses, including Hubert Webb himself and his father, along with other relatives and friends to support Webb's alibi that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 26, 1992. I will continue to play that role as long as I live. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. It is time to heal the past. Alibi cannot prevail over the positive identification of a credible witness [140].. The story of the Vizconde Massacre wasn't just a single story; it varied as told by a number of witnesses. 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.
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