When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. On the night of June 29, 1991, Asuncion was supposed to have a sleepover with Jennifer at the latters home in Paraaque City. A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. Vizconde murders - Wikipedia 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. As a result, the court reverses the decision of the Court of Appeals, and acquits Webb, et al. LYN RILLON. 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. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. People vs. Bello, G.R. Includes gruesome real photos from the crime scene. 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. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. The tapes were restored by IBM while being monitored by the National Computer Center. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. 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. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. I was a barbarian in my college years at the University of the Philippines. 124871, May 13, 2004. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. Hong Kong [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. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde. She said that when she entered Hubert's room, she saw him wearing only his pants, awake and smoking in bed. 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. For example, it rejected as not impartial the corroborating testimony of Augusto Santoss brother-in-law that he was at the hospital with him when Abadilla was murdered. [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. No. The CA rather held that positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction which was affirmed by the SC. Hello friends! Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. Hubert argued that the specimen could exonerate him from the charge and support his defence that he did not rape the victim. Call 896 6000. [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]. [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. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. 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. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. 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. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm Kung di ninyo ako pinabayaan, 'di ako magkakaganito. (Fuck you all! 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. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. Powered by, Appendix: Case analysis: Supreme Courts rulings on Vizconde and Abadilla cases are contradictory, http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm, http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm, http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf, http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-CAdecision.pdf. 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. Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. God does not teach us to retaliate. 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. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. Several jeepney drivers groups have called for an unprecedented one-week strike next week to demand extension of the deadline for phasing out traditional vehicles and replacing them with modern It will take over 200 years for women to be at par with men, a news report from Davos said. The presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. [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. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. Kaya laban lang tayo. 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. 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. 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. 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. [5] The other defendants were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. 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. Lejano and Ventura also took turns raping Carmela, before finishing her off with numerous stabs. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. Alfaro said Estrellita was killed before Webb began to rape Carmela. 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. 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. 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. Of the 15 Justices, 7 voted for acquittal while four dissented and four Justices, including Carpio, did not participate.[27][28]. 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. 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. 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. The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption(VACC) asked Justice Antonio Carpio and his cousin Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales to take a leave while the case is being decided to avoid undue influence on the court's decision. 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. A lying witness can make as positive an identification as a truthful witness can. 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. Inconsistencies: In Vizconde case damages credibility, in Abadilla case does not. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. [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. References: Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. This policewoman is either ignorant of the law or plain lazy. No. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. 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. [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. Vizconde massacre timeline | Philstar.com 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served - BusinessMirror 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. This coincided with his passport and Philippine Immigration records but were dismissed by Tolentino due to belief that these documents can possibly be falsified. 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! Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. 5. 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. . Evid. Vizconde massacre. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. 187745. But I could not work there), Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman. He alleged that he could not forget Webb because Biong had allegedly threatened him, Do not cheat him. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. Pray to them. It defended the attack on Alejos credibility, for example, his inconsistencies on the number of gunmen, arguing that this had already been explained by Alejo during cross-examination by correcting his earlier statement and that the affidavits, being ex-parte, are almost always incomplete and often inaccurate, but do not really detract from the credibility of witnesses. February 26, 2021. . The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. 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. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! (1993) Massacre era | PEP.ph 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. 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. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The politician would only be allowed by the spouse to run if the party that this politician will join can come up with a big amount for their family. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. 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. ", Jessica Alfaro: Alfaro's e-mail from abroad read. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. On the contrary, it reopens it. The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. He then hurled the little girl to a wall and started stabbing her. It would be a serious miscarriage of justice and a demonstration of inequality before the law should jurisprudence not be applied equally. However, the court pointed out that while Webb or his parents may be able to "arrange for the local immigration to put a March 9, 1991 departure stamp on his passport and an October 27, 1992 arrival stamp", they could not fix a foreign airlines passenger manifest, and the U.S. Immigration's record system. The court argued that the cited case has been superseded by Arizona v. Youngblood, "where the U.S. Supreme Court held that due process does not require the State to preserve the semen specimen although it might be useful to the accused unless the latter is able to show bad faith on the part of the prosecution or the police". [4] In the Trial Court (People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et al., G.R. 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 . 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. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. Eighteen-year-old daughter Carmela was raped, and had 17 stab wounds. As a host of the program that carries my surname, I and my all-female staff have handled complaints from citizens, concerning abusive or arrogant policemen and other government functionaries. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. 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. 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. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. Hubert and his co-accused were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court for the crime on June 6, 2000. 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. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. On April this year, the Webbs filed an urgent motion to acquit when they found out that the NBI no longer has custody of the specimen that was taken from the body of the rape victim, Carmela Visconde. 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. The Vizconde Massacre. By providing an email address. [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. The Vizconde Massacre | Shows | discovery+ Hubert Webb of Vizconde Massacre Freed- Breaking News - theAsianparent He was sentenced to eleven years in prison. Yes, but what can I do (?). ", 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. When we die, that is when we will be given the whole truth May the Lord console you in all your afflictions, The priest said. Rey and Jerry claimed they saw Webb playing basketball between the months of June and July 1991 during a league in BF Homes. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. Since I was introduced to The STAR readers in the front page, Ill hit the ground running. Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. VIZCONDE MASSACRE: After 20 Years | GMA News Online Am I dismayed by the decision of the (Supreme Court)? 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. Indeed, if the accused is truly innocent, he can have no other defense but denial and alibi. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth - Facebook The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! (1993) - IMDb Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. The court noted the inconsistency between Alfaro's testimony of Webb being Carmela's boyfriend, who had no reason in breaking the glass panel of the house's front door to enter the house; Alfaro said that Webb "picked up some stone and, out of the blue, hurled it at the glass-paneled front door". [29] It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. 185123/G.R. It is time to heal the past. [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. 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. Estrellita, 47, had suffered thirteen stab wounds; Carmela, 18, had suffered seventeen stab wounds and had been raped before she was killed; and Jennifer, 7, had nineteen stab . The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. In their alibis, Joel de Jesus claimed he was driving his passenger tricycle in Fairview, Quezon City the whole day; for SPO2 Cesar Fortuna, he was at Camp Crame (headquarters of the Philippine National Police, PNP) for official business and his presence was also corroborated by two police officials whom he had transacted business with; for Augusto Santos, he was at the Jose Fabella Hospital in Sta. 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.