Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. She had been hanging around that agency for sometime as a stool pigeon, one paid for mixing up with criminals and squealing on them. Movie producers and directors rode the wave of public outcry by creating true-to-life films based on such heinous crimes. 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. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! Of the 15 Justices, 7 voted for acquittal while four dissented and four Justices, including Carpio, did not participate.[27][28]. "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 Therefore, the applications of the SC on evaluating the defence of alibi of the accused have not been equally applied in these two cases. 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. Former Paraaque policeman Gerardo Biong was found guilty as an accessory for burning bedsheets and tampering with other evidence in the crime. God would be stupid to borrow Digongs words if He gifts him the vice presidency the second time around. It is time to heal the past. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. 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. She said the US-based defense witnesses, most of whom are relatives or friends of the Webb family suffered from "incorrigible and selective memory syndrome". 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. The jurisprudence mentioned above that the SC invoked has not been equally applied. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. God does not teach us to retaliate. 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. The Jessica Alfaro Story in 1995 was meanwhile focused on the star witness, portrayed by Alice Dixson. The court also said that if Webb was in the U.S. when the crime was committed, the Alfaro's testimony would not hold together: "Without it, the evidence against the others must necessarily fall. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. White was mistaken in saying that Gatchalian and company went in and out of the gated community many times, since they only entered once. al, 1995, G.R. 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. Nephews had posted a banner declaring "Truth prevails 20 years after" and demanding "Final justice for the Vizconde massacre victims," in apparent reference to government probers' claims . References: [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. But I could not work there), Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman. [29], The court said that "among the accused, Webb presented the strongest alibi". The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. 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. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. 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 Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. Sign up now! After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. Justo Cabanacan, the security supervisor of the gated community, said that he saw Webb enter the gated community, although he did not record Webb entering in his log book. Am I dismayed by the decision of the (Supreme Court)? It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. 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. 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. About the Show; You May Also Like . 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. vs. Raul de Leon et. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. It is that simple. The defense questioned Alfaro's credibility noting that she admitted to being under the influence of drugs when she allegedly witnessed the crime and had made inconsistent statements on her two affidavits. The prescription period does not matter to me, its just a date, he said. 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. [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. Massacre era. With Romeo Vasquez, Elizabeth Oropesa, Robert Arevalo, Tommy Abuel. The Vizconde massacre made headlines in the Philippines in the '90s and started a trend in filmmaking. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 Sulu in the eyes of my good friend Princess Jacel Kiram is a potential eco-tourism destination and fruit basket of the country. I will continue to play that role as long as I live. Abadilla Case Petition for Review on Certiorario:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf I stood my ground because I had all the facts in my hand. [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. It strictly laid down these as the least requirement in evaluating the credibility of the claim of positive identification. But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. 1. [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". Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. 176389 / G.R. Alfaro claimed that Hubert was angry at Carmela thus raping and murdering her, her younger sister and her mother, to supposedly revenge her unfaithfulness to him. 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. 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. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. 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. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. 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." The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw the attention of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines to its recent decision on two well-known cases tried in the lower courts; the conviction in the Vizconde Massacre case was overturned while that of the Abadilla murder case was affirmed. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. She also testified that Biong received money at a house that she later learned belonged to then Paraaque Congressman Freddie Webb; the Webb family's maids, Mila Gaviola and Nerissa Rosales, who both testified that Hubert Webb was at home on June 30, 1991. [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. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. 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. [50], On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court denied Lauro Vizconde's motion to reverse the acquittal because of double jeopardy. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. The CA in effect crafted and formulated the conjectures giving them the appreciation similar to facts offered as evidence where it had based the judgment. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. [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 Vizconde Massacre. 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. 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. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. Anyone can be paid! [61], The findings also point to another set of suspects, namely Dong Villadolid and his brother Bing. The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! No. [60] De Lima believed Dong Villadolid is the same person as Dong Ventura, one of the co-accused who fled to the US following the massacre. The case remained unsolved for almost four years until eyewitness, Jessica Alfaro Testified that Hubert Webb is the lead suspect and responsible of the crime committed. 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. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . Vizconde said his quest for justice was continuing despite the end of the prescription period for the prosecution of his familys killers. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. Their original conviction was capital punishment but their sentence was modified to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished. Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. [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. InVizconde case: The SC applied two tests in rejecting the positive identification of Alfaro: firstly, the credibility of a witness; secondly, the testimony should be believable, not inherently contrived. Ho Man Tin, Kowloon InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. 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. 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. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. 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. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. Eleazar, a strict disciplinarian, is probably the only PNP chief who is loved and respected by the citizenry. The SC did not apply the two tests it invoked on the Vizconde case before accepting the positive identification of Alejo as credible, and him as a credible witness. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. [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. 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. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. The SC identified the inconsistencies and the incredible facts in Alfaros testimony: her claim that Hubert Jeffrey Webb and Carmela Vizconde had a relationship; that Carmela had another lover whom she met just before Hubert came to her home and that she saw in open the five other accused taking turns in raping Carmela. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. She admitted to knowing Webb and company but denied knowledge of the Vizconde massacre, NBI Death Investigation Division head Romulo Asis said. [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. No. The court also said that it was "possible for Alfaro to lie" on the details of the case. 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. I will kill you, brandishing a shiny revolver. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. [15] The accused alleged that by rejecting 132 of the 142 pieces of evidence, Tolentino had set the tone for their conviction. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. The SCs decision affirming the guilty verdict by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City on the Abadilla Five, the five men accused in the murder of police colonel Rolando Abadilla on June 13, 1996, is already the subject of a final appeal filed on October 8, 2010. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . Aug 5, 2008. She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. Vizconde should go after the national government. [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine Senator, Freddie Webb; and six others from a wealthy family background similar to that of the accused. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. On June 30, 1991, 47-year-old housewife Estrellita Vizconde and daughters Carmela, 18, and Jennifer, 7, were found dead in their residence in BF Homes in Paraaque. Indeed, if the accused is truly innocent, he can have no other defense but denial and alibi. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. Yes, but what can I do (?). LYN RILLON. By providing an email address. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. 2. 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. Nephews had posted a banner declaring Truth prevails 20 years after and demanding Final justice for the Vizconde massacre victims, in apparent reference to government probers claims that, contrary to his alibi, released murder convict Hubert Webb never left the country. Please try again. 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. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. 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. Hubert and his co-accused were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court for the crime on June 6, 2000. 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. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. But Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, who concurred with the decision, wrote strongly against basing judgement on conjectures: Facts decide cases. You will regret it.[58][59] Jack, a village security guard who kept records of the village where Webb lived said he saw Hubert Webb during the time of the massacre. The court also amended the award of damages from 100,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos, and also upheld the conviction of Biong as accessory to the crime "by abusing his public functions to conceal and destroy the physical evidence in order to prevent the discovery of the crime and by allowing the destruction of the physical evidence, Biong facilitated the escape of the principal accused. Pray to them. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. 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. The court said that Alfaro was not a credible witness and that her "story of what she personally saw must be believable, not inherently contrived". 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. The other accused were Artemio Dong Ventura, Michael A. Gatchalian, Hospicio Pyke Fernandez, Peter Estrada, Miguel Ging Rodriguez, and Joey Filart. Methinks one year would give Eleazar ample time impose his brand of discipline on one of the most undisciplined police forces in the world. 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. 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 ballistic test results also did not match to any of the firearms supposedly taken from the accused to the empty shells that were recovered at the crime scene. 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. [60] Mario, a hair stylist during the period June 1991, testified that Webb, along with Tony Boy Lejano and Dong Ventura had their haircut.
Glenn Taylor Obituary,
Larry Mcenerney Obama Speech,
Gulf Coast Boat Tours,
Articles T