Thus the SC decision on the Vizconde massacre is flawed, Paguia averred, citing a portion of Fortich v. Corona, 312 SCRA 751, at 758 where the SC itself ruled that unless the minimum number of EIGHT votes for a majority is attained there is no decision to speak of, therefore the release order of the Webb group should not have been signed. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth - Facebook Rodolfo Sison, the police investigator originally assigned to the case in 1991. February 26, 2021. . Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. Sources from the Department of Justice said Webb, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court last December, 2010, was in the country during and after the crime happened in . In the Vizconde case, the SC does not accept conjecture as the basis of its decision. No. The AHRC is deeply concerned by the contradiction in the application of jurisprudence by the SC in these cases, particularly its ruling on positive identification, the credibility of witness and its appreciation of forensic evidence. I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. No. Secondly, Alfaros quality as a witness and her inconsistent, if not inherently unbelievable, testimony cannot be the positive identification that jurisprudence acknowledges as sufficient. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! (1993) September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm 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. [25][26], On December 14, 2010, the Supreme Court reversed the earlier judgment of the lower court and Court of Appeals and acquitted seven of the nine accused, including Hubert Webb, finding that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused were guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Among those present were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona; Arsenio Boy Evangelista, father of carjack victim Venson Evangelista; Dacer-Corbito witness Cezar Mancao and his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio; and members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC). 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 She did not know nor met any of them. 2. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. The Jessica Alfaro Story in 1995 was meanwhile focused on the star witness, portrayed by Alice Dixson. 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. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. But the grieving father couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies. 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. Alfaro implicated the children of wealthy and prominent families, including Hubert Webb, Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Vffrillaret and Artemio Ventura. 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. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. ), Among evidence that was not admitted by Judge Tolentino, was the note verbale from the United States Embassy in Manila claiming that Webb entered the United States in March 1991 and left in October 1992. [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]. The Vizconde Massacre. 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. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. 176864. The Visconde Massacre Case - Filipino Journal Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. [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. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. 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 . [5] The other defendants were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. The court considered the accused's "lack of interest in having such test done" in which they concluded that the state "cannot be deemed put on reasonable notice that it would be required to produce the semen specimen at some future time".[29]. 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. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. 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. 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. I got my style of writing when I was a reporter, news writer and newsreader on radio during the pre-martial law era, and as a deskman and feature writer of the Philippines News Agency (PNA). TV-14. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. The film claims to have been based on new evidence from the then-ongoing trial. 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. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! Massacre era. I got involved in the case after Webb told me Hubert, whose name was slowly cropping up in news reports as a prime suspect, was in the United States when the dastardly crime happened. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. Footnote: This article comprises the text of a statement issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission, AHRC-STM-266-2010, dated 21 December 2010. But Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, who concurred with the decision, wrote strongly against basing judgement on conjectures: Facts decide cases. 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! 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. al., 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vizconde_murders&oldid=1138122178, Loss of DNA evidence not a ground for outright acquittal. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness 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. People vs. Bello, G.R. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. The prosecutors, the RTC and the CA have been made aware of this fact by the defence. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. Includes gruesome real photos from the crime scene. Call 896 6000. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 The lead suspect was Hubert Webb whose father, Freddie Webb was famous as an actor, former basketball player, and Paraaque congressman at the time of the murders. No. 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. June 30, 1991 for a bicycle he bought from a store in Orange County, Los Angeles, California. References: 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. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to indemnify the Vizconde family Php 3 million for the murders. [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. 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. But both the RTC and the CA rejected his defence ruling that his alibi cannot stand against Alfaros positive identification of him as the rapist and killer. All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. 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. 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. [52] On June 14, 2011, Hubert Webb filed a P180,000 compensation claim for "unlawful conviction" for the Vizconde massacre. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. [60] Mario, a hair stylist during the period June 1991, testified that Webb, along with Tony Boy Lejano and Dong Ventura had their haircut. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. [61], The findings also point to another set of suspects, namely Dong Villadolid and his brother Bing. "[29] In general, the court said that Alfaro's story "lacks sense or suffers from inherent inconsistencies. 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. 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. 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. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. Vizconde is clinging to the hope that even if this period ended Thursday, more concerned citizens will approach the National Bureau of Investigation to corroborate claims made by new witnesses that Webb was seen in BF Homes, Paraaque City, at the time of the murders. This policewoman is either ignorant of the law or plain lazy. 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 . This is despite questions to his credibility for receiving money and enjoying privileges while he was in Abadillas custody and the existence of inconsistencies in his testimonies in open court. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. Kaya laban lang tayo. 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. My program is the originalsumbungan ng bayan sa radyo(roughly, citizens complaint center on radio). SC acquits Hubert Webb, 6 others in Vizconde massacre vs. People of the Philippines et al., 1997, G.R. The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene. The people urging President Rodrigo Digong Duterte to run for vice president in the 2022 elections are making fun of him. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories - Anchor [29], For the alibi to be established "the accused must prove by positive, clear, and satisfactory evidence that he was present at another place at the time of the perpetration of the crime, and that it was physically impossible for him to be at the scene of the crime". The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. Among the defense witnesses was Artemio Sacaguing, a former, now deceased NBI official who testified that Alfaro was an NBI asset who only volunteered to assume the role of the eyewitness when she could not produce the actual witness to the Vizconde killings. The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served - BusinessMirror The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. The SC, however, upheld the RTC and the CAs judgement that the defence of alibi of the accused is a weak defense, (and that) for it to prosper, the accused must prove not only that he was at some other place at the time of the commission of the crime, but also, that it was physically impossible for him to be or within its immediate vicinity. 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. True Crime. For there is no law requiring that the testimony of a simple [sic] witness should be corroborated for it to be accorded full faith and credit. Seven justices based its decision on the following points: Webb, citing Brady v. Maryland, said "that he is entitled to outright acquittal on the ground of violation of his right to due process given the States failure to produce on order of the Court either by negligence or willful suppression the semen specimen taken from Carmela." Please try again. The AHRC urges the SC to thoroughly review the pending final appeal of the accused in the Abadilla case. Webb's reliance on the presumption of regularity of official functions, stressing the fact that the US-INS certifications are official documents, is misplaced. [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. But I could not work there), Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman. As a result, the court reverses the decision of the Court of Appeals, and acquits Webb, et al. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. About the Show; You May Also Like . Executive M/Sgt. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. The lower courts, the Supreme Court said, held that "Webb was actually in Paraaque when the Vizconde killings took place". Her mother, Estrellita, 47, and sister, Jennifer, 7, were also killed. 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. "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. 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. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. She did not show up at the NBI as a spontaneous witness (only after four years) bothered by her conscience. She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. 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.

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