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. Pray to them. The 3 sets of suspects are: the Barroso Akyat-Bahay gang; the group of construction workers with engineer Danilo Agwas tagged as mastermind; SPO3 Angel Viaje, PO3 Rodolfo Colado, Ruben Pineda; and, the group of Hubert Webb. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. [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. This site uses cookies. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. No. Alibi cannot prevail over the positive identification of a credible witness [140].. 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. De Lima said they could still go after Filart and Ventura, as well as the Villadolid brothers, since the prescriptive period of 20 years for homicide does not apply to them because they were abroad. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. 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. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. 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. But the grieving father couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. It held that the acquittal of their co-accused does not necessarily benefit the appellants. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. ABADILLA MURDER CASE: This case is about the murder of Rolando Abadilla, a police colonel during Marcos regime, at 8:30 on June 13, 1996 at the Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. 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. In the Vizconde case, the SC does not accept conjecture as the basis of its decision. 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 story of the Vizconde Massacre wasn't just a single story; it varied as told by a number of witnesses. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. 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. There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. 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, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. The Vizconde Massacre. [19], The Court of Appeals' Third Division voted 32 to deny Webb's motion for reconsideration and upheld the ruling of Judge Tolentino on December 16, 2005. 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. No acquittal has been made as to the two accused, Filart and Ventura, who remain at-large. May I invite you to watch?). Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. It is that simple. 127262 Hubert Webb, et al. 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. G/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. 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. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. Thus, her testimony could not be admitted. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. Alejos testimonies in open court were also not consistent to what he had said to the police investigators immediately after the murder. 4. I stood my ground because I had all the facts in my hand. The presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. A local elected official whos being groomed to run for a national office is being sold to the highest bidder by the politicians spouse. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. 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. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. [9] They were acquitted by a trial judge in September 1993 for insufficient evidence.[9]. I stand by my story. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. It defended the attack on Alejos credibility, for example, his inconsistencies on the number of gunmen, arguing that this had already been explained by Alejo during cross-examination by correcting his earlier statement and that the affidavits, being ex-parte, are almost always incomplete and often inaccurate, but do not really detract from the credibility of witnesses. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. 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. [65] One team uncovered Black Maria, a woman whom one witness said had told him she was with Webb's group inside the Vizconde home and saw the crime take place. I would not have ended up like this if you had not neglected me). The court said that Alfaro was not a credible witness and that her "story of what she personally saw must be believable, not inherently contrived". Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. 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. Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. 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. [23] On November 26, 2010, Lauro Vizconde voiced his concern to media about the purported lobbying of Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio for the reversal of the guilty verdict. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vizconde said he was optimistic about finding more witnesses.. The prescription period does not matter to me, its just a date, he said. The tapes were restored by IBM while being monitored by the National Computer Center. [4] In the Trial Court (People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et al., G.R. On January 4, 2000, the Regional Trial Court of Paranaque City rendered its judgement finding all the accused guilty as charged imposing a penalty of life imprisonment. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. The CA in effect crafted and formulated the conjectures giving them the appreciation similar to facts offered as evidence where it had based the judgment. [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. 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. She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. Lauro Vizconde the husband of Estrellita and father of Carmela and Jennifer, was in the United State on business when the murders took place. Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. The ballistic test results also did not match to any of the firearms supposedly taken from the accused to the empty shells that were recovered at the crime scene. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. Early Thursday, Lauro Vizconde went to Holy Cross Memorial Park and laid bouquets of roses on the tombs of his wife and daughters. 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). I told my family that I did my best. LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde VIZCONDE MASSACRE: 20 YEARS, TWO FACES OF JUSTICE Report by Maki Pulido It is one of the most controversial cases in the country's history, the most shocking crime in the 90s - the Vizconde Massacre. Defence of Alibi: In Vizconde case not admissible, in Abadilla case court acted on conjectures. 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. Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. 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. 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. Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. Hubert argued that the specimen could exonerate him from the charge and support his defence that he did not rape the victim. 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. No. Sign up now! Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. [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. God would be stupid to borrow Digongs words if He gifts him the vice presidency the second time around. Carpio testified for the defense during the trial. No. InVizconde case: The majority of the justices strongly argued against relying on conjectures on deciding the case, particularly on the claim that Hubert Jeffrey could have been in the Philippines, and not in the U.S., when the crime happened. Executive M/Sgt. [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. Therefore, the SCs rejection of Villamaras opinion demonstrates a fundamental contradiction to its September 7 decision on the Abadilla case.