Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. Abadilla Case Decision from the Court of Appeals:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-CAdecision.pdf. 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. Those initially jailed for. 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. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. Footnote: This article comprises the text of a statement issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission, AHRC-STM-266-2010, dated 21 December 2010. Police assets are often criminals themselves. Corona." The defense questioned Alfaro's credibility noting that she admitted to being under the influence of drugs when she allegedly witnessed the crime and had made inconsistent statements on her two affidavits. InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. Therefore, the SCs rejection of Villamaras opinion demonstrates a fundamental contradiction to its September 7 decision on the Abadilla case. As a result, the court reverses the decision of the Court of Appeals, and acquits Webb, et al. Call 896 6000. "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." . We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. 3. 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. Like the accused in the Vizconde case and for any other cases for that matter, the accused in the Abadilla murder case also deserve equal protection of the law. Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. 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. 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. 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. 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. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. 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. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. 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. Pray to them. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. Envy aliens who can avoid PH; pity Pinoys who are stuck here. All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. Lorenzo delos Santos was acquitted due to lack of evidence, but the RTC, the CA and the SC ignored that fact that the same positive identification it invoked in convicting the Abadilla Five came from exactly the same testimonies that have been used to acquit Delos Santos. 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. 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 . But to Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court, the truth was the account of star witness Jessica Alfaro. 'Ms. No. Rey and Jerry claimed they saw Webb playing basketball between the months of June and July 1991 during a league in BF Homes. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. Lejano and Ventura also took turns raping Carmela, before finishing her off with numerous stabs. The Jessica Alfaro Story in 1995 was meanwhile focused on the star witness, portrayed by Alice Dixson. There was entry of (former senator) Freddie Webb leaving the country in March 1991 but no Hubert Webb, De Lima said. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. 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! [5] The other defendants were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. Ho Man Tin, Kowloon 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. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. It was Alejo who had positively identified Joel and Lorenzo (delos Santos) during a police line-up. Sign up now! 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. 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. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. Abadilla Case Petition for Review on Certiorario:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf Alfaro said she was then having reservations when she first executed the first affidavit and held back vital information due to her natural reaction of mistrust. (P.S. [6][7][8] The suspects said they were tortured and forced to confess to the crime before they were presented by Filart to the media. 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. LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. 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]. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". [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. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. Person of interest in hazing case of Adamson student found dead, Jeepney phaseout: Its more than just new vehicles, Sandiganbayan convicts ex-Pagcor chair Genuino of graft, House energy committee chair Arroyo bats for cheap electricity, LIVE UPDATES: Face-to-face classes, work suspended as transport strike looms, vivo announces PHP 1,000 price drop on vivo V25e, Kickstart summer with vivos hot smartphone deals this 3.3, Over 24,000 hectares of coral reef at risk following Mindoro oil spill, Frat members planned to burn Adamson hazing victims body police | INQToday, Joey de Leon laughs off Eat Bulaga rebranding rumors; Tito Sotto meets up with show producer Tony Tuviera, LIST: LGUs, schools suspend face-to-face classes, work as transport strike looms, NBA: Devin Booker, Suns cruise past Bulls in second half. No. 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." [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]. Kaya laban lang tayo. 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. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . Once again, the SCs applications of jurisprudence on the admissibility of forensic evidence in criminal trial have not been equally applied. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. 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". 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. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm 24, Rule 134, R. 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. She said that when she entered Hubert's room, she saw him wearing only his pants, awake and smoking in bed. 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. 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. 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. April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. As a host of the program that carries my surname, I and my all-female staff have handled complaints from citizens, concerning abusive or arrogant policemen and other government functionaries. ", Jessica Alfaro: Alfaro's e-mail from abroad read. InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. Thus, her testimony could not be admitted. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. This column will tackle various topics on the days it will come out: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. 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. Thus, it was not surprising for Alfaro to testify with great details in court. [55], On June 28, 2011, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Hubert Webb was in the Philippines when the murders took place. 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. [29], The court said that "among the accused, Webb presented the strongest alibi". Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 Her mother, Estrellita, 47, and sister, Jennifer, 7, were also killed. No. Alibi cannot prevail over the positive identification of a credible witness [140].. This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. 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. Di naman ako puwede magtrabaho don (If that's the case, then I should have had a salary. 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. She did not know nor met any of them. 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. I would not have ended up like this if you had not neglected me). The women were found dead with multiple stab wounds and no witnesses, murder weapons or motive have been uncovered. Nos. Indeed, the testimony of a single witness, when positive and credible, is sufficient to support a conviction even for murder. 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,. 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. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. 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. Movie producers and directors rode the wave of public outcry by creating true-to-life films based on such heinous crimes. No. For those who havent heard aboutIsumbong, the public service program started at Radyo Veritas on June 1, 1991. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vizconde said he was optimistic about finding more witnesses.. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. 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. :Isumbongwill make a comeback on PTV-4 on June 12, 2021. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. The massacre and surrounding events were depicted in the 1993 film The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) [4] In the Trial Court (People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et al., G.R. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. vs. Raul de Leon et. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. October 1, 1996 Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paraaque RTC rejected 132 of the defense's 142 pieces of evidence. Aug 5, 2008. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. 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 case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. 5. Their claims were corroborated by witnesses who are disinterested parties, their relatives and friends and documentary evidence. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. The readers will notice soon enough the brevity of each topic. It held that the acquittal of their co-accused does not necessarily benefit the appellants. This coincided with his passport and Philippine Immigration records but were dismissed by Tolentino due to belief that these documents can possibly be falsified. 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. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. 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. No. 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. The story of the Vizconde Massacre wasn't just a single story; it varied as told by a number of witnesses. Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde. 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 . 150 likes. In the Philippines in 1992, the Vizconde Massacre, which saw the murder of multiple women who had been stabbed to death, created an investigation full of problems. 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. [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. The film claims to have been based on new evidence from the then-ongoing trial. "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 182555/G.R. Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? [60] Mario, a hair stylist during the period June 1991, testified that Webb, along with Tony Boy Lejano and Dong Ventura had their haircut. For example, the prosecutor, instead of admitting Alejo to the WPP during trial, rather chose instead to allow the Abadillas, who had an interest in Alejos testimony, to make him dependent on them for his livelihood at least for the duration of the trial of the case. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. Make a difference. 16:53. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. 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. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. [48] Other witnesses say Webb was in the Philippines at the time of the murders. Originally, there were seven accused charged in this case. 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. 4. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. Hubert and his co-accused were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court for the crime on June 6, 2000. 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. 3. [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. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. No acquittal has been made as to the two accused, Filart and Ventura, who remain at-large. 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. The NBI is the agency responsible in providing security and protection of witnesses admitted under WPP. The lower courts, however, reasoned that "Webb's alibi cannot stand against Alfaro's positive identification of him." 176864. (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. No. Eighteen-year-old daughter Carmela was raped, and had 17 stab wounds. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. 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. 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 . In their alibis, Joel de Jesus claimed he was driving his passenger tricycle in Fairview, Quezon City the whole day; for SPO2 Cesar Fortuna, he was at Camp Crame (headquarters of the Philippine National Police, PNP) for official business and his presence was also corroborated by two police officials whom he had transacted business with; for Augusto Santos, he was at the Jose Fabella Hospital in Sta. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. The trial of the case having been long concluded, the requirements of the law may have been satisfied, but not the demands of justice. 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. True Crime. Copyright 2023. 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. The unconstitutionality of prior restraint. 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. Hello friends! [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. It would be a serious miscarriage of justice and a demonstration of inequality before the law should jurisprudence not be applied equally. G.R. On the night of June 29, 1991, Asuncion was supposed to have a sleepover with Jennifer at the latters home in Paraaque City. 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. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. [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. You are just a few clicks away from making This site uses cookies. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. The SC did not apply the two tests it invoked on the Vizconde case before accepting the positive identification of Alejo as credible, and him as a credible witness. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. Similar to the Vizconde case, the five accused made a defence of alibi claiming that they were somewhere else on June 13, 1996 when the murder of Abadilla happened. Methinks one year would give Eleazar ample time impose his brand of discipline on one of the most undisciplined police forces in the world.