"[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." It was Alejo who had positively identified Joel and Lorenzo (delos Santos) during a police line-up. The Vizconde Massacre | GMA News Online [139] Against positive evidence, alibi becomes most unsatisfactory. 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. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. Hence, it was not physically impossible for them to travel to Quezon City via the North Expressway at the time the crime took place; On Augusto Santos, the corroboration of his brother-in-law, Jonas Padel Ayhon, that he was at the Jose Fabella Hospital when the crime happened, the CA rejected his corroboration because he was not an impartial witness and ruled that where nothing supports the alibi than the testimony of a relative, it deserves scant consideration. Evid. [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. The President has time and again said that he was very tired of running the country and, if he had his way, would have stepped down. But Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, who concurred with the decision, wrote strongly against basing judgement on conjectures: Facts decide cases. 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. 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. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! (1993) (Update 6:47 p.m.) The Supreme Court (SC) has cast doubts on the credibility of Jessica Alfaro, the so-called star witness in the gruesome killings of three members of the Vizconde family almost two decades ago. Massacre era | PEP.ph [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. I am not an NBI agent nor an NBI asset. 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. In the Vizconde case, the SC does not accept conjecture as the basis of its decision. LYN RILLON. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys 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. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. The people urging President Rodrigo Digong Duterte to run for vice president in the 2022 elections are making fun of him. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. 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. Pinoy murders: The worst true crimes in the Philippines [58] George, a drug dealer, claimed he was introduced to Webb by former SPO1 Gerardo Biong sometime in April 1991 where the young Webb allegedly purchased from him 10grams of shabu worth P10,000. [55], On June 28, 2011, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Hubert Webb was in the Philippines when the murders took place. Aug 5, 2008. 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. Similar to the Vizconde case, the five accused made a defence of alibi claiming that they were somewhere else on June 13, 1996 when the murder of Abadilla happened. 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). Violent Vizconde Massacre | Crimes That Shocked Asia - YouTube The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene. ", Jessica Alfaro: Alfaro's e-mail from abroad read. Hong Kong 124871, May 13, 2004. Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. The Villadolid brothers were mentioned by a certain Rhoda Pujanes alias Dang, who claimed she overheard Villadolid and his friends, including Miguel Rodriguez and Michael Gatchalian (both co-accused of Webb), talking about the massacre during a pot session in 1991. Choose Gods endless kind of love., Hernandez also reminded Vizconde that he now had three saints in Heaven.. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. 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. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. [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". Yes, but what can I do (?). Ho Man Tin, Kowloon People cried for justice for the Vizcondes and one of the suspects was Hubert Webb, son of then Paraaque congressman Freddie Webb, who later became a senator. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm [19], The Court of Appeals' Third Division voted 32 to deny Webb's motion for reconsideration and upheld the ruling of Judge Tolentino on December 16, 2005. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! (1993) - IMDb This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. Even if we were denied justice, I consoled them that at least people already know what really happened, he said. 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." Like Alejo, Herbas also at first instance identified Joel de Jesus as one of the gunmen during a police line-up but later withdraw his statement in open court. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. But to Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court, the truth was the account of star witness Jessica Alfaro. 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. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 176389 / G.R. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. 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. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? 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. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! - sirasa.dixiesewing.com "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. I stand by my story. Lorenzo delos Santos was acquitted due to lack of evidence, but the RTC, the CA and the SC ignored that fact that the same positive identification it invoked in convicting the Abadilla Five came from exactly the same testimonies that have been used to acquit Delos Santos. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm Call 896 6000. [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. Once again, the SCs applications of jurisprudence on the admissibility of forensic evidence in criminal trial have not been equally applied. But big offenses, such as rape or attempted rape, should be filed with the police or the prosecutors office. The SC acquitted all the accused, reversing and dismissing the guilty verdict of the RTC and the CA. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. The Vizconde massacre - my defining moment | Philstar.com InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. 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. [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 Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! - IMDb Hubert argued that the specimen could exonerate him from the charge and support his defence that he did not rape the victim. The Visconde Massacre Case - Filipino Journal [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 term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. 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. Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. Envy aliens who can avoid PH; pity Pinoys who are stuck here. A local elected official whos being groomed to run for a national office is being sold to the highest bidder by the politicians spouse. Kaya laban lang tayo. [52] On June 14, 2011, Hubert Webb filed a P180,000 compensation claim for "unlawful conviction" for the Vizconde massacre. 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. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. [9] They were acquitted by a trial judge in September 1993 for insufficient evidence.[9]. 127262 Hubert Webb, et al. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. Indeed, if the accused is truly innocent, he can have no other defense but denial and alibi. Vizconde murders - Wikipedia Vizconde massacre. Guillermo Lorenzo Guilor Eleazar, recently appointed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), bows out on Nov. 13 this year when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. Thus, her testimony could not be admitted. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. 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. [13][14], Other prosecution witnesses were: Carlos J. Cristobal who alleged that on March 9, 1991, he was a passenger of United Airlines Flight No. Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. 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. I was a barbarian in my college years at the University of the Philippines. (P.S. 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. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? 24, Rule 134, R. X' key to real perpetrators of Vizconde murders? Thus, it was not surprising for Alfaro to testify with great details in court. Former Paraaque policeman Gerardo Biong was found guilty as an accessory for burning bedsheets and tampering with other evidence in the crime. By providing an email address. The jurisprudence mentioned above that the SC invoked has not been equally applied. No. 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. : Directed by Carlo J. Caparas. Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. The presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. Appendix: Case analysis: Supreme Court's rulings on Vizconde and Based on the infamous and seemingly never ending 1991 Vizconde murder case in the Philippines where a woman and her two children; a teen daughter who was also raped and a 6-year-old, were all viciously stabbed to death while the husband was away in America on business. She said that when she entered Hubert's room, she saw him wearing only his pants, awake and smoking in bed. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. 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. 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. Methinks one year would give Eleazar ample time impose his brand of discipline on one of the most undisciplined police forces in the world. [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. Those initially jailed for. Hubert Webb of Vizconde Massacre Freed- Breaking News - theAsianparent [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. [65] One team uncovered Black Maria, a woman whom one witness said had told him she was with Webb's group inside the Vizconde home and saw the crime take place. 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". Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. The fight is not over. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. 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. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. 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.Estrellita Vizconde, 49, suffered thirteen stab wounds; Maria Carmela Vizconde, 19, suffered seventeen stab wounds and had been raped before she was killed . The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. This is despite questions to his credibility for receiving money and enjoying privileges while he was in Abadillas custody and the existence of inconsistencies in his testimonies in open court. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. But in the Abadilla case, not only did the SC affird the CAs ruling in rejecting the defence of alibi, it did not also question the CAs formulation of conjectures on which it based its judgement. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. 1. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. Includes gruesome real photos from the crime scene. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. Nos. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. The readers will notice soon enough the brevity of each topic. The tapes were restored by IBM while being monitored by the National Computer Center. The CA rather held that positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction which was affirmed by the SC. 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. Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. In open court, he already said there were six, not four assailants; that it was two other gunmen, not one of the four present close to the car who pointed the gun at him; and he was not nervous but rather had the opportunity to see the faces of all the assailants facing him all at the same time. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. The lower courts, however, reasoned that "Webb's alibi cannot stand against Alfaro's positive identification of him." 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. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. She admitted to knowing Webb and company but denied knowledge of the Vizconde massacre, NBI Death Investigation Division head Romulo Asis said. No. I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. [10] According to the footage of the trial, Alfaro had been able to identify all the defendants by their names. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. Abadilla Case Petition for Review on Certiorario:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf He and six others spent 15 years in jail. vs. Raul de Leon et. But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. [30], In three separate occasions, police authorities mistakenly arrested persons they believed to be suspect Joey Filart: a namesake in August 1995, the same person again in February 2000, and a person from Compostela Valley in March 2000. Make a difference. The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. 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.
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