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. The SC acquitted all the accused, reversing and dismissing the guilty verdict of the RTC and the CA. 187745. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. 2. Hong Kong [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". No. InAbadilla case: The SC affirmed the CAs judgement as inconclusive the use of forensic evidence, for example, the fingerprints and ballistic test results, showing that none of the five accused had their fingerprints match to those extracted from the murder victims car. As to the failure to present the forensic evidence and its subsequent loss, the SC held: the semen specimen taken from Carmela cannot possibly lie. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. 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. Indeed, her superior testified that she volunteered to play the role of a witness in the Vizconde killings when she could not produce a man she promised to the NBI. Webb's testimony was also contradicted by other US-based defense witnesses who said they usually saw him "going to the beach, malling, bar-hopping or playing basketball. Vizconde should go after the national government. [52] On June 14, 2011, Hubert Webb filed a P180,000 compensation claim for "unlawful conviction" for the Vizconde massacre. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. 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. Sulu in the eyes of my good friend Princess Jacel Kiram is a potential eco-tourism destination and fruit basket of the country. The Vizconde massacre has been dubbed as the trial of the century as the accused hailed from prominent families of the Philippines. 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. No. 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. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene. Of the 15 Justices, 7 voted for acquittal while four dissented and four Justices, including Carpio, did not participate.[27][28]. 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. The SC, however, held that by failing to prove the existence of a relationship between Hubert and Carmela; and that the lover that Alfaro claimed that Carmela had met did not come forward in public or in court, her testimonies about the accused and the victims were like a piece of jigsaw puzzle trimmed to fit into the shape on the board but does not belong because it clashes with the surrounding pieces and the lover was a mere ghost of the imagination of Alfaro, the woman who made a living informing on criminals. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. 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. [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. But I could not work there), Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. Under the law, prosecutors of a murder case are given 20 years from the time it occurred or the time it was discovered to identify suspects and charge them in court. 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. 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. She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II May The Lord Be With Us, was released in 1994 and starred Vina Morales as Carmela and Joko Daz as an assailant. Originally, there were seven accused charged in this case. ", 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. Apart from Alejo, earlier there was another witness, Merlito Herbas. Choose Gods endless kind of love., Hernandez also reminded Vizconde that he now had three saints in Heaven.. 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. 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. 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. 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. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. I stand by my story. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. Early Thursday, Lauro Vizconde went to Holy Cross Memorial Park and laid bouquets of roses on the tombs of his wife and daughters. I will continue to play that role as long as I live. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. No. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. 5. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." Call 896 6000. Secondly, Alfaros quality as a witness and her inconsistent, if not inherently unbelievable, testimony cannot be the positive identification that jurisprudence acknowledges as sufficient. [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. 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. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. vs. People of the Philippines et al., 1997, G.R. The prescription period does not matter to me, its just a date, he said. Corona." Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? It held that the acquittal of their co-accused does not necessarily benefit the appellants. [15] The accused alleged that by rejecting 132 of the 142 pieces of evidence, Tolentino had set the tone for their conviction. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. There was entry of (former senator) Freddie Webb leaving the country in March 1991 but no Hubert Webb, De Lima said. On October 1, 1996, Judge Amelita Tolentino admitted only 10 of the 142 pieces of evidence the defense presented. The court also said that it was "possible for Alfaro to lie" on the details of the case. God would be stupid to borrow Digongs words if He gifts him the vice presidency the second time around. 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. [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]. You are just a few clicks away from making It would be a serious miscarriage of justice and a demonstration of inequality before the law should jurisprudence not be applied equally. Eleazar, a strict disciplinarian, is probably the only PNP chief who is loved and respected by the citizenry. After the Mass, VACC founding chair Dante Jimenez urged Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against the seven Supreme Court justices who either voted to acquit Webb and coaccused or abstained from voting last December. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! Pitong, an electrician who since 1982, already knew the Webb family claimed he saw a laundry woman wash a bloodied T-shirt on the morning of the crime. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. 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 presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. Your subscription could not be saved. The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. After she finished the laundry, she went to the servant's quarters. 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." 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. Evid. 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. I will kill you, brandishing a shiny revolver. Three days after that, he was allegedly approached by Mrs. Webb who reportedly told him, You did not see anything. A week after, Sen. Freddie Webb allegedly told him, You did not see anything. 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. But Villaramas opinion was not considered by the SC in their majority decision. [60] Mario, a hair stylist during the period June 1991, testified that Webb, along with Tony Boy Lejano and Dong Ventura had their haircut. 176864. No. al, 1995, G.R. "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. 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. Hello friends! She had been hanging around that agency for sometime as a stool pigeon, one paid for mixing up with criminals and squealing on them. This coincided with his passport and Philippine Immigration records but were dismissed by Tolentino due to belief that these documents can possibly be falsified. [10] According to the footage of the trial, Alfaro had been able to identify all the defendants by their names. InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. De Lima said the evidence that showed Webb and any of the co-accused were in the country came from the magnetic reel tape (MRT) of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) where all records of incoming and outgoing passengers from the Philippines are recorded. Since I was introduced to The STAR readers in the front page, Ill hit the ground running. (P.S. The massacre and surrounding events were depicted in the 1993 film The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) 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. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. That's all crap! The filming location took place in the actual home of the Vizconde's where the massacre took place on June 30, 1991. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. 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. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. 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. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. 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. [61], The findings also point to another set of suspects, namely Dong Villadolid and his brother Bing. [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]. 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 Make a difference. Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. ), 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. Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. Police assets are often criminals themselves. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. al., 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vizconde_murders&oldid=1138122178, Loss of DNA evidence not a ground for outright acquittal. Footnote: This article comprises the text of a statement issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission, AHRC-STM-266-2010, dated 21 December 2010. Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. 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. For those who havent heard aboutIsumbong, the public service program started at Radyo Veritas on June 1, 1991. [139] Against positive evidence, alibi becomes most unsatisfactory. [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. He then hurled the little girl to a wall and started stabbing her. But to Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court, the truth was the account of star witness Jessica Alfaro. Alejos testimonies in open court were also not consistent to what he had said to the police investigators immediately after the murder. Secondly, in the Abadilla case the SC held that the defense of alibi is weak, but in the Vizconde case it held that not all denials and alibis should be regarded as fabricated. 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. Abadilla Case Petition for Review on Certiorario:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. He and six others spent 15 years in jail. Kung di ninyo ako pinabayaan, 'di ako magkakaganito. (Fuck you all! Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. 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. 'Ms. But her parents did not allow her to go. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. Those initially jailed for. 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. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. 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. According to Rivera, Sacaguing was never part of the NBI team assigned to investigate the Vizconde massacre and that his former colleague took Alfaro's statement in April 1995 without the presence of a lawyer.
