Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. 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. [165] The discrepancies between a sworn statement and testimony in court do not outrightly justify the acquittal of an accused,[166] as testimonial evidence carries more weight than an affidavit. 176864. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. God does not teach us to retaliate. Copyright 2023. 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. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. ), 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. 2. 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. Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. 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. So how can such accused penetrate a mind that has been made cynical by the rule drilled into his head that a defense of alibi is a hangmans noose in the face of a witness positively swearing. This has resulted in the revelation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that they no longer had the specimens as these were remanded to the Paraaque courts. Hell never return to the Philippines, said the Thai tourist whose cash was filched by Manila airport security personnel. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. It held that the acquittal of their co-accused does not necessarily benefit the appellants. 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. 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. The details of how they were killed were grim. 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,. Am I dismayed by the decision of the (Supreme Court)? A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. Alfaro, upon explaining on how the house was ransacked, (the Paraaque police had earlier blamed house robbers as suspects), said that Ventura was looking for the front-door key and the car key. [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. The 3 sets of suspects are: the Barroso Akyat-Bahay gang; the group of construction workers with engineer Danilo Agwas tagged as mastermind; SPO3 Angel Viaje, PO3 Rodolfo Colado, Ruben Pineda; and, the group of Hubert Webb. With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. A local elected official whos being groomed to run for a national office is being sold to the highest bidder by the politicians spouse. Indeed, the testimony of a single witness, when positive and credible, is sufficient to support a conviction even for murder. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. 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. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. On the night of June 29, 1991, Asuncion was supposed to have a sleepover with Jennifer at the latters home in Paraaque City. They are Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Cesar Fortuna, Rameses de Jesus and Joel de Jesus. 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vizconde said he was optimistic about finding more witnesses.. [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]. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories - Anchor 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. His intention was very, very dubious, he said. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. 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. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. 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. Sign up now! The trial of the case having been long concluded, the requirements of the law may have been satisfied, but not the demands of justice. [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". Your subscription could not be saved. No. vs. Raul de Leon et. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. But the grieving father couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. But her parents did not allow her to go. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. 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. [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. April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. It was Alejo who had positively identified Joel and Lorenzo (delos Santos) during a police line-up. 'Ms. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. 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 would not have ended up like this if you had not neglected me). 24, Rule 134, R. No. Alibi cannot prevail over the positive identification of a credible witness [140].. New Vizconde massacre witness found | Inquirer News 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. Another accused, Joey Filart also fled to the United States. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. [50], On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court denied Lauro Vizconde's motion to reverse the acquittal because of double jeopardy. 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. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. But to Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court, the truth was the account of star witness Jessica Alfaro. [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. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". In the Vizconde case, the SC does not accept conjecture as the basis of its decision. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm 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. Violent Vizconde Massacre | Crimes That Shocked Asia - YouTube "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. 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. Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories 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. 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. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. The 47-year-old Estrellita had 13 stab wounds. a contribution to Human Rights work, Asian Human Rights Commission He and six others spent 15 years in jail. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. The unconstitutionality of prior restraint. 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 prosecutors, the RTC and the CA have been made aware of this fact by the defence. Hello friends! Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. The CA rather held that positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction which was affirmed by the SC. October 1, 1996 Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paraaque RTC rejected 132 of the defense's 142 pieces of evidence. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. The Visconde Massacre Case - Filipino Journal 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. 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. [12] On July 24, 1997, the Supreme Court noted that Tolentino erred when she refused to admit the 132 pieces of evidence presented by the defense, although these were later admitted in court through an order issued by Tolentino.[12][16]. There was entry of (former senator) Freddie Webb leaving the country in March 1991 but no Hubert Webb, De Lima said. 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." The AHRC urges the SC to thoroughly review the pending final appeal of the accused in the Abadilla case. InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. 5. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. [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. [48] Other witnesses say Webb was in the Philippines at the time of the murders. ", The victims of the massacre (from left to right): Jennifer, Carmela, and Estrellita Vizconde, "The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served", "Lauro Vizconde to be buried in same grave with family Wednesday", "Manila Standard Google News Archive Search", "The Manila Times Internet Edition SPECIAL REPORT > Questions linger in Vizconde case", The Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 31, 2010, "Philippine Daily Inquirer Google News Archive Search", "NBI exec: We've turned over semen specimen from Vizconde girl to court", "2 SC justices asked to go on leave pending Vizconde decision", "SC sues for time, defers ruling on Vizconde case", Philippine Daily Inquirer, SC Acquits Webb et al, "Supreme Court decision on Webb et al re Vizconde Massacre", Lauro Vizconde in tears, Webbs on 'cloud nine', Gary, Kris speak up on Hubert's acquittal, Outrage over decision, sympathy for Vizconde, Ruling raises more questions, lawyers point out, Vizconde kin question why Webb was released so quickly, Alfaro unwilling to testifying anew in Vizconde case Jessica Alfaro stands by story, Criminal law experts umalma sa pag-absuwelto ng SC kay Webb, Ex-VP Guingona to SC: Reverse Webb's acquittal to give justice to Vizconde, "Another 'Joey Filart' still under detention", "New Vizconde massacre witnesses surface", New witnesses to prove Webb in PH during Vizconde massacre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Hubert Webb seeks P180K compensation for 'unlawful' conviction, NBI, PNP teams probe 3 sets of Vizconde slay suspects, Vizconde massacre has new set of witnesses, Evidence, witnesses 'shatter' Webb alibi: task force, DoJ chief: No credible proof of Webb in crime scene, De Lima hints at explosive breakthrough in Vizconde probe. Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. People vs. Bello, G.R. 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. The lower courts, however, reasoned that "Webb's alibi cannot stand against Alfaro's positive identification of him." He alleged that Webb bought illegal drugs from him on two other occasions in May 1991. The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene. 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). Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. Visconde Masscre - Weebly There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. [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. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. Inconsistencies: In Vizconde case damages credibility, in Abadilla case does not. The other accused were Artemio Dong Ventura, Michael A. Gatchalian, Hospicio Pyke Fernandez, Peter Estrada, Miguel Ging Rodriguez, and Joey Filart. The Vizconde massacre revisited | ABS-CBN News 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. 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. [4] In the Trial Court (People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et al., G.R. Vizconde murders - Wikipedia In a 38-page strongly-worded decision promulgated on Tuesday, the . [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". Executive M/Sgt. [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. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." 1. Eh di sana may sweldo ako. 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. Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. The film claims to have been based on new evidence from the then-ongoing trial. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. 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. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? 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. Massacre era | PEP.ph He adds, this Court takes judicial notice of reported irregularities and tampering of passports in the years prior to the recent issuance by the Department of Foreign Affairs(DFA) of machine-readable passports. 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. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. Suspicions, no matter how strong they are, must never sway judgment. 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. InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. I will kill you, brandishing a shiny revolver. He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. Nos. I told my family that I did my best. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. On August 11, 1999, the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City acquitted two of them and convicted the five others, now collectively known as the Abadilla Five. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. 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. In this case, the existence of an earlier negative report on the NIIS record on file concerning the entry of appellant Webb into and his exit from the US on March 9, 1991, and October 26, 1992, respectively, had raised serious doubt on the veracity and accuracy of the subsequently issued second certification dated August 31, 1995 which is based merely on a computer print-out of his alleged entry on March 9, 1991, and departure on October 26, 1992.
When The Road Is Slippery, You Should,
How To Type Long Vowel Symbol In Google Docs,
Chicopee, Ma Obituaries,
Giorgio Kireko Panietu,
Articles T