Includes gruesome real photos from the crime scene. 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. Hence, it was not physically impossible for them to travel to Quezon City via the North Expressway at the time the crime took place; On Augusto Santos, the corroboration of his brother-in-law, Jonas Padel Ayhon, that he was at the Jose Fabella Hospital when the crime happened, the CA rejected his corroboration because he was not an impartial witness and ruled that where nothing supports the alibi than the testimony of a relative, it deserves scant consideration. Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. 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. As already mentioned, the SC concluded Alfaro to be not a credible witness because she did not meet these two criteria. 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. 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. 16:53. No. 176389 / G.R. 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 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. Webb's reliance on the presumption of regularity of official functions, stressing the fact that the US-INS certifications are official documents, is misplaced. 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. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. Rodolfo Sison, the police investigator originally assigned to the case in 1991. The NBI is the agency responsible in providing security and protection of witnesses admitted under WPP. (1994) Details Release date June 24, 1993 (Philippines) Country of origin Philippines Languages English Filipino Tagalog Filming locations [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. 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. References: 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,. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. 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. 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. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. You are just a few clicks away from making But the grieving father couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. But her parents did not allow her to go. Eh di sana may sweldo ako. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. No. My program is the originalsumbungan ng bayan sa radyo(roughly, citizens complaint center on radio). 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. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. Pray to them. 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. 176864), it became one of the most sensational cases in the Philippines, being described as a "trial of the century". 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. [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. 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. As a result, the court reverses the decision of the Court of Appeals, and acquits Webb, et al. "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. 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. Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. vs. Raul de Leon et. 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. 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. Her mother, Estrellita, 47, and sister, Jennifer, 7, were also killed. All rights are reserved. 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. 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. 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. For those who havent heard aboutIsumbong, the public service program started at Radyo Veritas on June 1, 1991. vs. People of the Philippines et al., 1997, G.R. 187745. The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. 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 . [29], The court said that "among the accused, Webb presented the strongest alibi". Of the 15 Justices, 7 voted for acquittal while four dissented and four Justices, including Carpio, did not participate.[27][28]. No. A local elected official whos being groomed to run for a national office is being sold to the highest bidder by the politicians spouse. 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. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. 3. 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. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. Episode on July 5, 2011 Tuesday after Saksi! ), Moreover, Judge Tolentino also denied Webb's request to subject semen samples to DNA testing on the belief that the samples may no longer be intact. After she finished the laundry, she went to the servant's quarters. 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. 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. 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. 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. Corona." 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". The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm 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. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. Call 896 6000. InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. G.R. Police assets are often criminals themselves. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. 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". Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. Hell never return to the Philippines, said the Thai tourist whose cash was filched by Manila airport security personnel. Indeed, if the accused is truly innocent, he can have no other defense but denial and alibi. The presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. 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. [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. Vizconde is clinging to the hope that even if this period ended Thursday, more concerned citizens will approach the National Bureau of Investigation to corroborate claims made by new witnesses that Webb was seen in BF Homes, Paraaque City, at the time of the murders. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. Vizconde said his quest for justice was continuing despite the end of the prescription period for the prosecution of his familys killers. [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. White was mistaken in saying that Gatchalian and company went in and out of the gated community many times, since they only entered once. Evid. She said that when she entered Hubert's room, she saw him wearing only his pants, awake and smoking in bed. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. He alleged that he could not forget Webb because Biong had allegedly threatened him, Do not cheat him. May I invite you to watch?). Hong Kong He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. 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 prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. Hubert and his co-accused were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court for the crime on June 6, 2000. The case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. al., 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vizconde_murders&oldid=1138122178, Loss of DNA evidence not a ground for outright acquittal. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. No. Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. 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. 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. Massacre era. No. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. The DoJ also placed Alfaro under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the trial period. 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.
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