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. 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. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . In the said stockroom, there is a small door going to Hubert's room and in that door there is a small opening where she used to see Hubert and his friends sniffing on something. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. Episode on July 5, 2011 Tuesday after Saksi! 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. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. Pitong, an electrician who since 1982, already knew the Webb family claimed he saw a laundry woman wash a bloodied T-shirt on the morning of the crime. 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. Since I was introduced to The STAR readers in the front page, Ill hit the ground running. 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 . 150 likes. (1994) Details Release date June 24, 1993 (Philippines) Country of origin Philippines Languages English Filipino Tagalog Filming locations [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. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? To support this, Webb presented a Certification issued by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service of August 31, 1995 confirming that his entry into that country was recorded. [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. [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. No. Jennifer Diaz, chief of the women and childrens desk, told Allan to file the complaint with the barangay where they reside. The lower courts, the Supreme Court said, held that "Webb was actually in Paraaque when the Vizconde killings took place". Sulu in the eyes of my good friend Princess Jacel Kiram is a potential eco-tourism destination and fruit basket of the country. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. 176864. 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. I told my family that I did my best. In a decision dated January 6, 2000, Paraaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted Webb and the co . He then hurled the little girl to a wall and started stabbing her. G.R. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. 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. [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. Early Thursday, Lauro Vizconde went to Holy Cross Memorial Park and laid bouquets of roses on the tombs of his wife and daughters. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. Inconsistencies: In Vizconde case damages credibility, in Abadilla case does not. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. 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. The Villadolid brothers were mentioned by a certain Rhoda Pujanes alias Dang, who claimed she overheard Villadolid and his friends, including Miguel Rodriguez and Michael Gatchalian (both co-accused of Webb), talking about the massacre during a pot session in 1991. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. He was sentenced to eleven years in prison. White, on the other hand, said he saw the three cars enter the subdivision on the night of June 29, as Alfaro had testified; White also testified that policeman Gerardo Biong was the first to arrive at the crime scene. People vs. Bello, G.R. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. No. 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. 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. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. 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. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. Hubert argued that the specimen could exonerate him from the charge and support his defence that he did not rape the victim. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. [11], The defense produced documents and presented 95 witnesses, including Hubert Webb himself and his father, along with other relatives and friends to support Webb's alibi that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 26, 1992. I would not have ended up like this if you had not neglected me). My program is the originalsumbungan ng bayan sa radyo(roughly, citizens complaint center on radio). You are just a few clicks away from making She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. She admitted to knowing Webb and company but denied knowledge of the Vizconde massacre, NBI Death Investigation Division head Romulo Asis said. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. Methinks one year would give Eleazar ample time impose his brand of discipline on one of the most undisciplined police forces in the world. All rights are reserved. 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. InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. 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. The filming location took place in the actual home of the Vizconde's where the massacre took place on June 30, 1991. On April 28, 1995, National Bureau of Investigations asset and self-confessed drug user Jessica Alfaro came forward to police authorities to shed light on the killing of the Vizconde family. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. 5. Let the love of God prevail. Once again, the SCs applications of jurisprudence on the admissibility of forensic evidence in criminal trial have not been equally applied. There was entry of (former senator) Freddie Webb leaving the country in March 1991 but no Hubert Webb, De Lima said. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm [60] Mario, a hair stylist during the period June 1991, testified that Webb, along with Tony Boy Lejano and Dong Ventura had their haircut. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. Even if we were denied justice, I consoled them that at least people already know what really happened, he said. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. [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. 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. 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. 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. Alfaro said Estrellita was killed before Webb began to rape Carmela. [15] The accused alleged that by rejecting 132 of the 142 pieces of evidence, Tolentino had set the tone for their conviction. "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 At the end of February, the Bureau of Fire Protection held a parade featuring some of its trucks and equipment as well as new regular personnel: women firefighters. 127262 Hubert Webb, et al. Aug 5, 2008. Rodolfo Sison, the police investigator originally assigned to the case in 1991. [165] The discrepancies between a sworn statement and testimony in court do not outrightly justify the acquittal of an accused,[166] as testimonial evidence carries more weight than an affidavit. On the contrary, it reopens it. [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. She did not know nor met any of them. She had been hanging around that agency for sometime as a stool pigeon, one paid for mixing up with criminals and squealing on them. [29] Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. No. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. 185123/G.R. Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. 187745. The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. 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. No. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to indemnify the Vizconde family Php 3 million for the murders. TV-14. The DoJ also placed Alfaro under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the trial period. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. 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. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II May The Lord Be With Us, was released in 1994 and starred Vina Morales as Carmela and Joko Daz as an assailant. She said that when she entered Hubert's room, she saw him wearing only his pants, awake and smoking in bed. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Webb presented certifications from the U.S. Immigration but he failed to submit as evidence in court the original copy of his passport with immigration entry stamped on it. This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. [48] Other witnesses say Webb was in the Philippines at the time of the murders. No. She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. 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. Copyright 2023. 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). [57] The witnesses include an electrician, a drug dealer, a couple of neighborhood basketball players, a hairdresser and a village security guard. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. 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". 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 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. Eighteen-year-old daughter Carmela was raped, and had 17 stab wounds. 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. 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. 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. As to the failure to present the forensic evidence and its subsequent loss, the SC held: the semen specimen taken from Carmela cannot possibly lie. 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. Nos. 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. No. [29], The court said that "among the accused, Webb presented the strongest alibi". A lying witness can make as positive an identification as a truthful witness can. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those wrongfully accused. Suspicions, no matter how strong they are, must never sway judgment. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. Eh di sana may sweldo ako. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. [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. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. But in the Abadilla case, not only did the SC affird the CAs ruling in rejecting the defence of alibi, it did not also question the CAs formulation of conjectures on which it based its judgement. 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. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. God would be stupid to borrow Digongs words if He gifts him the vice presidency the second time around. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. This column will tackle various topics on the days it will come out: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. A local elected official whos being groomed to run for a national office is being sold to the highest bidder by the politicians spouse. 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. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. 124871, May 13, 2004. 182555/G.R. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. 2. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. 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. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. True Crime. 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. On October 1, 1996, Judge Amelita Tolentino admitted only 10 of the 142 pieces of evidence the defense presented. 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 . starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. But big offenses, such as rape or attempted rape, should be filed with the police or the prosecutors office. al, 1995, G.R. [52] On June 14, 2011, Hubert Webb filed a P180,000 compensation claim for "unlawful conviction" for the Vizconde massacre. 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. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. 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. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. 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). I am not an NBI agent nor an NBI asset. 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. 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. 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. 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. Alibi cannot prevail over the positive identification of a credible witness [140].. Apart from Alejo, earlier there was another witness, Merlito Herbas. 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. 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. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine Senator, Freddie Webb; and six others from a wealthy family background similar to that of the accused. 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. a contribution to Human Rights work, Asian Human Rights Commission Alfaro, who had "practically lived" at the NBI's offices, would have been able to hear about the details, and gain access to the documents, without difficulty. The trial of the case having been long concluded, the requirements of the law may have been satisfied, but not the demands of justice. But her parents did not allow her to go. No. Their original conviction was capital punishment but their sentence was modified to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished. Eleazar, a strict disciplinarian, is probably the only PNP chief who is loved and respected by the citizenry. 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. 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. The passing away of Lauro Vizconde a few days ago does not close the sad chapter on the tragedy known as 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. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". Thus, it was not surprising for Alfaro to testify with great details in court. 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 . [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. 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. due to "overwhelming evidence that showed Webb and the other accused had conspired to rape Carmela and, in the process, kill her and the rest of the family." Corona." As already mentioned, the SC concluded Alfaro to be not a credible witness because she did not meet these two criteria. Webb wanted Alfaro, the then-girlfriend of one of the accused men, Peter Estrada, to join them because Estrellita Vizconde only allowed her daughter to go out and entertain female visitors. 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." It strictly laid down these as the least requirement in evaluating the credibility of the claim of positive identification. Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. [49], On January 4, 2011, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said suspect Joey Filart was spotted in the United States. Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures.