A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. [50], On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court denied Lauro Vizconde's motion to reverse the acquittal because of double jeopardy. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! - sirasa.dixiesewing.com 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. The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. ", 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. G/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories - Anchor 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 trial of the case having been long concluded, the requirements of the law may have been satisfied, but not the demands of justice. Please try again. Vizconde massacre timeline | Philstar.com [10] According to the footage of the trial, Alfaro had been able to identify all the defendants by their names. I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." 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. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. 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". However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. Massacre era. [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. Hello friends! 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. Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. 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. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". Your subscription could not be saved. This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. 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 . [29] She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. The Vizconde murders remained unsolved for almost four years, until 1995 when eyewitness Jessica Alfaro, a self-confessed drug addict, came forward on April 28, 1995, to shed light on the massacre. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. She admitted to knowing Webb and company but denied knowledge of the Vizconde massacre, NBI Death Investigation Division head Romulo Asis said. The Vizconde Massacre | Shows | discovery+ [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. 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. 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. In a decision dated January 6, 2000, Paraaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted Webb and the co . By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. True Crime. InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. [5] The other defendants were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. 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. As already mentioned, the SC concluded Alfaro to be not a credible witness because she did not meet these two criteria. 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. In a 38-page strongly-worded decision promulgated on Tuesday, the . [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. Corona." In rejecting the defence of the accused, the SC also affirmed the conjecture the CA had put forward as to the possibility that the accused could have been present or somewhere at the vicinity where the crime took place, as mentioned below: On Joel de Jesus, it was not impossible for him to have gone also Katipunan Avenue (from Quezon City where he was driving), which is also part of Quezon City, not to mention the fact that with his tricycle, he could have easily moved from one place to another; On Rameses de Jesus and Lenido Lumanog, their claims lack credence as they are unsupported by the testimonies of independent witnesses. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. Defence of Alibi: In Vizconde case not admissible, in Abadilla case court acted on conjectures. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. On December 14, 2010, the SC rendered its decision on the appeals of the accused, questioning the guilty verdict by the RTC and the CA. [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 tapes were restored by IBM while being monitored by the National Computer Center. 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. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. 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. 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." Early Thursday, Lauro Vizconde went to Holy Cross Memorial Park and laid bouquets of roses on the tombs of his wife and daughters. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. 3. The fight is not over. Once again, the SCs applications of jurisprudence on the admissibility of forensic evidence in criminal trial have not been equally applied. Carpio testified for the defense during the trial. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. But big offenses, such as rape or attempted rape, should be filed with the police or the prosecutors office. vs. Raul de Leon et. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. [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. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. Make a difference. Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. [4] In the Trial Court (People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et al., G.R. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. No. The Vizconde massacre revisited | ABS-CBN News Vizconde marks 20th year of murders: Time to move on He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. The lower courts, however, reasoned that "Webb's alibi cannot stand against Alfaro's positive identification of him." Originally, there were seven accused charged in this case. Alfaro said Estrellita was killed before Webb began to rape Carmela. 185123/G.R. Pray to them. 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. 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. G.R. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness 127262 Hubert Webb, et al. For example, I was the first one to report the shooting of 16-year-old Maureen Hultman and her boyfriend by the son of former chief justice Claudio Teehankee in 1991 in my column at theInquirer, because the girls stepfather, Anders, a Swede, came to myIsumbongoffice at Radyo Veritas. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. 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. CONCLUSION: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by this unequal application of jurisprudence by the SC on the Abadilla murder and the Vizconde massacre. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. "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 The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. Of the 15 Justices, 7 voted for acquittal while four dissented and four Justices, including Carpio, did not participate.[27][28]. 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. His intention was very, very dubious, he said. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 Copyright 2023. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. Allan (surname intentionally omitted), stepfather of a 16-year-old girl who was nearly raped by a neighbor, went with his daughter to the police station in San Jose, Batangas recently to file a complaint. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm 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. 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. Biong walks free, insists he's innocent | ABS-CBN News 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. May I invite you to watch?). 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. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. 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. ABADILLA MURDER CASE: This case is about the murder of Rolando Abadilla, a police colonel during Marcos regime, at 8:30 on June 13, 1996 at the Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. 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. 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. Those initially jailed for. She added that suspect Miguel Rodriguez warned her to "shut up or you're gonna get killed" in the same disco on April 8, 1995, prompting her to voluntarily submit herself to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for protection. Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. 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. MANILA, Philippines - A former policeman who was jailed for allegedly tampering with evidence in the 1991 Vizconde massacre insists he is innocent of any crime after being released from prison Tuesday. 150 likes. 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. 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 . (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. [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. 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. No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. 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. The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served - BusinessMirror 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. The Vizconde Massacre. 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. 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. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. G.R. Envy aliens who can avoid PH; pity Pinoys who are stuck here. 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From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. Since I was introduced to The STAR readers in the front page, Ill hit the ground running. 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 unconstitutionality of prior restraint. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. Even if we were denied justice, I consoled them that at least people already know what really happened, he said. Webb's reliance on the presumption of regularity of official functions, stressing the fact that the US-INS certifications are official documents, is misplaced. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. al, 1995, G.R. 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. On Vizconde Massacre, Hubert Webb and the Quest for True Justice (1st 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. So how can such accused penetrate a mind that has been made cynical by the rule drilled into his head that a defense of alibi is a hangmans noose in the face of a witness positively swearing. 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. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. No. : Directed by Carlo J. Caparas. [61], The findings also point to another set of suspects, namely Dong Villadolid and his brother Bing. This has resulted in the revelation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that they no longer had the specimens as these were remanded to the Paraaque courts. [56][62][63][64] Dang claimed to have heard Dong Villadolid shouting at the top of his voice, saying they had raped and killed a certain Maria (presumed to be Maria Carmela Vizconde) and other persons. She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. VIZCONDE MASSACRE: After 20 Years | GMA News Online Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. Another accused, Joey Filart also fled to the United States. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. Executive M/Sgt. vs. People of the Philippines et al., 1997, G.R. 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. 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. Eh di sana may sweldo ako. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. Hubert argued that the specimen could exonerate him from the charge and support his defence that he did not rape the victim. Apart from Alejo, earlier there was another witness, Merlito Herbas. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vizconde said he was optimistic about finding more witnesses.. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. 1. 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. 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. Eleazar, a strict disciplinarian, is probably the only PNP chief who is loved and respected by the citizenry. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. Massacre case in 1991 Webb was accused of raping Carmela Vizconde, 18, who was killed in her family's Paraaque home on June 30, 1991. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! This site uses cookies. June 14, 1993 - Vizconde Massacre solved; 'brains,' three others fall Police finish investigation of the Vizconde case with the arrest of the suspected mastermind and three other suspects,.