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. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. [2][3] Estrellita Vizconde, 49, suffered thirteen stab wounds; Carmela Vizconde, 19, suffered seventeen stab wounds and had been raped before she was killed; and Anne Marie Jennifer, 6, had nineteen stab wounds. He alleged that Webb bought illegal drugs from him on two other occasions in May 1991. The politician would only be allowed by the spouse to run if the party that this politician will join can come up with a big amount for their family. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw the attention of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines to its recent decision on two well-known cases tried in the lower courts; the conviction in the Vizconde Massacre case was overturned while that of the Abadilla murder case was affirmed. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. In open court, he already said there were six, not four assailants; that it was two other gunmen, not one of the four present close to the car who pointed the gun at him; and he was not nervous but rather had the opportunity to see the faces of all the assailants facing him all at the same time. 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. But her parents did not allow her to go. October 1, 1996 Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paraaque RTC rejected 132 of the defense's 142 pieces of evidence. On the contrary, it reopens it. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. Indeed, if the accused is truly innocent, he can have no other defense but denial and alibi. The 47-year-old Estrellita had 13 stab wounds. (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. [60], Although Webb's group can no longer be retried because of double jeopardy, De Lima said the purpose of the reinvestigation was to uncover the truth and bring closure to Lauro Vizconde.[65][66]. 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. [60] De Lima believed Dong Villadolid is the same person as Dong Ventura, one of the co-accused who fled to the US following the massacre. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. 124871, May 13, 2004. Your subscription could not be saved. No. [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. The lower courts, the Supreme Court said, held that "Webb was actually in Paraaque when the Vizconde killings took place". 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. Footnote: This article comprises the text of a statement issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission, AHRC-STM-266-2010, dated 21 December 2010. 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. X' key to real perpetrators of Vizconde murders? I will kill you, brandishing a shiny revolver. 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. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. 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 CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. Indeed, the testimony of a single witness, when positive and credible, is sufficient to support a conviction even for murder. They are Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Cesar Fortuna, Rameses de Jesus and Joel de Jesus. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. The SC identified the inconsistencies and the incredible facts in Alfaros testimony: her claim that Hubert Jeffrey Webb and Carmela Vizconde had a relationship; that Carmela had another lover whom she met just before Hubert came to her home and that she saw in open the five other accused taking turns in raping Carmela. 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. . vs. Raul de Leon et. [48] Other witnesses say Webb was in the Philippines at the time of the murders. Rey and Jerry claimed they saw Webb playing basketball between the months of June and July 1991 during a league in BF Homes. After the Mass, VACC founding chair Dante Jimenez urged Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against the seven Supreme Court justices who either voted to acquit Webb and coaccused or abstained from voting last December. [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. He and six others spent 15 years in jail. al, 1995, G.R. 150 likes. I told my family that I did my best. She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. Originally, there were seven accused charged in this case. 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. ), 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. Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. 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. April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. This column will tackle various topics on the days it will come out: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. No. . 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. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. [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. Herbas had testified for the defence instead of the prosecution when the Abadilla did not fulfil his promise to give him (Herbas) exactly the same salary he was receiving and when he was told that he would no longer be presented as witness because the testimony of Alejo would be sufficient. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. 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. The DoJ also placed Alfaro under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the trial period. 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. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. 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. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! [61], The findings also point to another set of suspects, namely Dong Villadolid and his brother Bing. 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. Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. The story of the Vizconde Massacre wasn't just a single story; it varied as told by a number of witnesses. 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". 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. 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. 1. 'Ms. 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. He adds, this Court takes judicial notice of reported irregularities and tampering of passports in the years prior to the recent issuance by the Department of Foreign Affairs(DFA) of machine-readable passports. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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". But Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, who concurred with the decision, wrote strongly against basing judgement on conjectures: Facts decide cases. [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. 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 . Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. 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. 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. 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). [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]. The SC acquitted all the accused, reversing and dismissing the guilty verdict of the RTC and the CA. Kaya laban lang tayo. Am I dismayed by the decision of the (Supreme Court)? She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. The presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. 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]. 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. God would be stupid to borrow Digongs words if He gifts him the vice presidency the second time around. This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. Be consoled that the truth will always come out, Hernandez advised Vizconde. As a result, the court reverses the decision of the Court of Appeals, and acquits Webb, et al. The details of how they were killed were grim. 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. Sign up now! It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. In a decision dated January 6, 2000, Paraaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted Webb and the co . The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . Former Paraaque policeman Gerardo Biong was found guilty as an accessory for burning bedsheets and tampering with other evidence in the crime. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. 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. Therefore, the SCs rejection of Villamaras opinion demonstrates a fundamental contradiction to its September 7 decision on the Abadilla case. 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 . The prosecutors, the RTC and the CA have been made aware of this fact by the defence. Yes, but what can I do (?). 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 trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. ), Among evidence that was not admitted by Judge Tolentino, was the note verbale from the United States Embassy in Manila claiming that Webb entered the United States in March 1991 and left in October 1992. Webb had presented the alibi that he was in the United States when the crime was committed, but he was still found guilty by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court. Alejos testimonies in open court were also not consistent to what he had said to the police investigators immediately after the murder. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. 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. 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. The jurisprudence mentioned above that the SC invoked has not been equally applied. 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. He alleged that he could not forget Webb because Biong had allegedly threatened him, Do not cheat him. The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. Episode on July 5, 2011 Tuesday after Saksi! She admitted to knowing Webb and company but denied knowledge of the Vizconde massacre, NBI Death Investigation Division head Romulo Asis said. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. About the Show; You May Also Like . 1. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! The prescription period does not matter to me, its just a date, he said. The passing away of Lauro Vizconde a few days ago does not close the sad chapter on the tragedy known as the Vizconde massacre. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. G.R. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. (1994) Details Release date June 24, 1993 (Philippines) Country of origin Philippines Languages English Filipino Tagalog Filming locations 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. [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. In the Vizconde case, the SC does not accept conjecture as the basis of its decision. 3. [10] According to the footage of the trial, Alfaro had been able to identify all the defendants by their names. 187745. TV-14. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. 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. God does not teach us to retaliate. 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. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. Alfaro implicated the children of wealthy and prominent families, including Hubert Webb, Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Vffrillaret and Artemio Ventura. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. 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." 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. The fight is not over. [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. "[29] In general, the court said that Alfaro's story "lacks sense or suffers from inherent inconsistencies. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. Lejano and Ventura also took turns raping Carmela, before finishing her off with numerous stabs. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. [29], The court said that "among the accused, Webb presented the strongest alibi". 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. 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. 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. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. 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." They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. 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. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. 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. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. 127262 Hubert Webb, et al. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. 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 . For example, I was the first one to report the shooting of 16-year-old Maureen Hultman and her boyfriend by the son of former chief justice Claudio Teehankee in 1991 in my column at theInquirer, because the girls stepfather, Anders, a Swede, came to myIsumbongoffice at Radyo Veritas. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". 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! No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. Jubilation by the citizenry greeted the report of his appointment. It is time to heal the past. [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. 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.