16:53. Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. It was also not true that there was no showing that he (Alejo) was actuated by improper motive to testify falsely against the accused because the defence had since been challenging his credibility during the trial. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Originally, there were seven accused charged in this case. 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. I found this As of yesterday, police had arrested and filed criminal charges against six fraternity members suspected to have beaten to death John Matthew Salilig in a twisted concept ofbrotherhood. Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. 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. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. Vizconde said his quest for justice was continuing despite the end of the prescription period for the prosecution of his familys killers. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. I stood my ground because I had all the facts in my hand. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. Suspicions, no matter how strong they are, must never sway judgment. 3. 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. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. On October 1, 1996, Judge Amelita Tolentino admitted only 10 of the 142 pieces of evidence the defense presented. Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. 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. Anyone can be paid! The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. 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. A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. A lying witness can make as positive an identification as a truthful witness can. [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". 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". [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. [15] The accused alleged that by rejecting 132 of the 142 pieces of evidence, Tolentino had set the tone for their conviction. It strictly laid down these as the least requirement in evaluating the credibility of the claim of positive identification. 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. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. 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. 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. 150 likes. The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served - BusinessMirror 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. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness 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. During the trial, accused Webb made a defence of alibi claiming that he was in the United States when the massacre of the Vizcondes happened. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. 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. 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. 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. Abadilla Case Petition for Review on Certiorario:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf [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. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. The passing away of Lauro Vizconde a few days ago does not close the sad chapter on the tragedy known as the Vizconde massacre. "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. Three days after that, he was allegedly approached by Mrs. Webb who reportedly told him, You did not see anything. A week after, Sen. Freddie Webb allegedly told him, You did not see anything. After reading about how responsive Secretary Benhur Abalos is to matters raised by the media, some members of the PNP, particularly in the province of Iloilo, have shared through channels about their operational Local producers wont like it, but it looks like in the near future, there will be a flood of imported agricultural commodities. Nos. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. 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. 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 revisited | ABS-CBN News While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. Indeed, if the accused is truly innocent, he can have no other defense but denial and alibi. Former Paraaque policeman Gerardo Biong was found guilty as an accessory for burning bedsheets and tampering with other evidence in the crime. 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. "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." It held that a positive declaration from a witness that he saw the accused commit the crime should not automatically cancel out the accuseds claim that he did not do it. VIZCONDE MASSACRE: After 20 Years | GMA News Online Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. Violent Vizconde Massacre | Crimes That Shocked Asia - YouTube And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. 'Ms. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. 2. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. I will continue to play that role as long as I live. Episode on July 5, 2011 Tuesday after Saksi! This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. There was entry of (former senator) Freddie Webb leaving the country in March 1991 but no Hubert Webb, De Lima said. The court said the "portion of Alfaro's story appears tortured to accommodate the physical evidence of the ransacked house" adding that "it is a story made to fit in with the crime scene although robbery was supposedly not the reason Webb and his companions entered that house". Secondly, the SC affirmed the CAs assertion that Alejo was a credible witness ignoring the questions to his credibility by arguing that: positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction for murder against appellants. 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. She did not know nor met any of them. Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. 808 bound for New York and who expressed doubt on whether Hubert Webb was his co-passenger in the trip; NBI medico-legal Dr. Prospero Cabanayan, Belen Dometita and Teofilo Minoza, two of the Vizconde maids; and Manciano Gatmaitan, an engineer. 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. Early Thursday, Lauro Vizconde went to Holy Cross Memorial Park and laid bouquets of roses on the tombs of his wife and daughters. Vizconde murders - Wikipedia 5. Kaya laban lang tayo. Massacre era | PEP.ph The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. Corona." Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. 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. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! - sirasa.dixiesewing.com Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. The Vizconde Massacre was the multiple homicide of members of the Vizconde family on June 30, 1991 at their residence in BF Homes, Paraaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. Rodolfo Sison, the police investigator originally assigned to the case in 1991. Movie producers and directors rode the wave of public outcry by creating true-to-life films based on such heinous crimes. vs. Raul de Leon et. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 Police assets are often criminals themselves. According to Rivera, Sacaguing was never part of the NBI team assigned to investigate the Vizconde massacre and that his former colleague took Alfaro's statement in April 1995 without the presence of a lawyer. The tapes were restored by IBM while being monitored by the National Computer Center. Eh di sana may sweldo ako. As already mentioned, the SC concluded Alfaro to be not a credible witness because she did not meet these two criteria. 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. a contribution to Human Rights work, Asian Human Rights Commission 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". Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. Those initially jailed for. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. ", Jessica Alfaro: Alfaro's e-mail from abroad read. I would not have ended up like this if you had not neglected me). That's all crap! The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! (1993) - IMDb Unreliability of Jessica Alfaro's testimony: Alfaro had prior knowledge on the facts of the case having been an, Alfaro was not able to explain why the house was ransacked if robbery was not the motive of Webb and his group, Unreliability of testimony from other witnesses, Alfaro's testimony will fall apart if Webb was not at the crime scene and will relieve the others accused of the crime. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. I told my family that I did my best. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. 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. In this case, the existence of an earlier negative report on the NIIS record on file concerning the entry of appellant Webb into and his exit from the US on March 9, 1991, and October 26, 1992, respectively, had raised serious doubt on the veracity and accuracy of the subsequently issued second certification dated August 31, 1995 which is based merely on a computer print-out of his alleged entry on March 9, 1991, and departure on October 26, 1992. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. 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. X' key to real perpetrators of Vizconde murders? Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. Secondly, Alfaros quality as a witness and her inconsistent, if not inherently unbelievable, testimony cannot be the positive identification that jurisprudence acknowledges as sufficient. Even if we were denied justice, I consoled them that at least people already know what really happened, he said. For those who havent heard aboutIsumbong, the public service program started at Radyo Veritas on June 1, 1991. 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. 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. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. She had been hanging around that agency for sometime as a stool pigeon, one paid for mixing up with criminals and squealing on them. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. 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. No. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. As a result, the court reverses the decision of the Court of Appeals, and acquits Webb, et al. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. The unconstitutionality of prior restraint. He alleged that Webb bought illegal drugs from him on two other occasions in May 1991. Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. The readers will notice soon enough the brevity of each topic. [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. 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. 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. The Visconde Massacre Case - Filipino Journal 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". This was how Lauro Vizcondes relatives summed it up on Thursday night after a Mass marking the 20th anniversary of the death of his wife Estrellita and daughters Carmela and Jennifer. 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. 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. [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. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. (1994) Details Release date June 24, 1993 (Philippines) Country of origin Philippines Languages English Filipino Tagalog Filming locations The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth - Facebook Am I dismayed by the decision of the (Supreme Court)? The remains of his wife and daughters were also exhumed from their grave at Holy Cross Memorial Park in Quezon City and transferred to his grave. The Vizconde massacre has been dubbed as the trial of the century as the accused hailed from prominent families of the Philippines. Forensic evidence: In Vizconde case it cannot lie, in Abadilla case it is inconclusive. It is time to heal the past. No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. At about 4 a.m. on June 30, 1991, Gaviola woke up and entered the bedrooms to get the Webb's dirty laundry and wash it as part of her job. October 1, 1996 Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paraaque RTC rejected 132 of the defense's 142 pieces of evidence. 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. Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. No. But her parents did not allow her to go. 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. He and six others spent 15 years in jail. [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. 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. But I could not work there), Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman. May I invite you to watch?). Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. Vizconde massacre. No. Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. Biong walks free, insists he's innocent | ABS-CBN News 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. [17], On January 6, 2000, Judge Tolentino rendered her decision, finding Hubert Webb, Peter Estrada, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Antonio Lejano II and Miguel Rodriguez guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of rape with homicide.