They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. 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. 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. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! The Vizconde murders remained unsolved for almost four years, until eyewitness Jessica Alfaro, a self-confessed former drug addict, came forward on April 28, 1995, to shed light on the massacre. I told my family that I did my best. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? 'Ms. His intention was very, very dubious, he said. Anyone can be paid! 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. Several jeepney drivers groups have called for an unprecedented one-week strike next week to demand extension of the deadline for phasing out traditional vehicles and replacing them with modern It will take over 200 years for women to be at par with men, a news report from Davos said. 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. 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. 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. 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. The presumption leaned on is disputable and can be overcome by evidence to the contrary. [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. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. It is said that being elected president is a gift from God. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. On Vizconde Massacre, Hubert Webb and the Quest for True Justice (1st Episode on July 5, 2011 Tuesday after Saksi! In rejecting the defence of the accused, the SC also affirmed the conjecture the CA had put forward as to the possibility that the accused could have been present or somewhere at the vicinity where the crime took place, as mentioned below: On Joel de Jesus, it was not impossible for him to have gone also Katipunan Avenue (from Quezon City where he was driving), which is also part of Quezon City, not to mention the fact that with his tricycle, he could have easily moved from one place to another; On Rameses de Jesus and Lenido Lumanog, their claims lack credence as they are unsupported by the testimonies of independent witnesses. 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. Since I was introduced to The STAR readers in the front page, Ill hit the ground running. 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". 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. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. 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. 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. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. 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. The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served - BusinessMirror 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. :Isumbongwill make a comeback on PTV-4 on June 12, 2021. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. 1. 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 in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Originally, there were seven accused charged in this case. 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. Biong walks free, insists he's innocent | ABS-CBN News She also said that Bing was accosting Ging Rodriguez on why he had to stab and kill a young girl. Envy aliens who can avoid PH; pity Pinoys who are stuck here. Kung di ninyo ako pinabayaan, 'di ako magkakaganito. (Fuck you all! She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. [24] This was categorically denied by the Supreme Court as Justice Carpio had in fact recused himself from the case and was not going to take part in the deliberation. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vizconde said he was optimistic about finding more witnesses.. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. Hello friends! 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. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth - Facebook [139] Against positive evidence, alibi becomes most unsatisfactory. The Murder of an Entire Family While Dad Was Abroad for Work The SC, however, upheld the RTC and the CAs judgement that the defence of alibi of the accused is a weak defense, (and that) for it to prosper, the accused must prove not only that he was at some other place at the time of the commission of the crime, but also, that it was physically impossible for him to be or within its immediate vicinity. The unconstitutionality of prior restraint. The massacre and surrounding events were depicted in the 1993 film The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) All of these had been applied in acquitting the accused in the Vizconde case, which is contradictory to its earlier decision affirming the conviction of the Abadilla Five. Vizconde murders - Wikipedia The Jessica Alfaro Story in 1995 was meanwhile focused on the star witness, portrayed by Alice Dixson. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. 'Hubert Webb was in PH during Vizconde massacre' - ABS-CBN News The Vizconde Massacre | Shows | discovery+ 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. al., 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vizconde_murders&oldid=1138122178, Loss of DNA evidence not a ground for outright acquittal. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories - Anchor (1994) Details Release date June 24, 1993 (Philippines) Country of origin Philippines Languages English Filipino Tagalog Filming locations References: 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. 4. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. 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. On the night of June 29, 1991, Asuncion was supposed to have a sleepover with Jennifer at the latters home in Paraaque City. Another accused, Joey Filart also fled to the United States. : Directed by Carlo J. Caparas. Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. [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. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. 150 likes. ), 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. 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. Indeed, the testimony of a single witness, when positive and credible, is sufficient to support a conviction even for murder. Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. 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. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. Her mother, Estrellita, 47, and sister, Jennifer, 7, were also killed. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. 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." InVizconde case: Jessica Alfaros positive identification was rejected because she did not meet the test of a credible witness and that what she personally saw must be believable, not inherently contrived. She did not know nor met any of them. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. Suspicions, no matter how strong they are, must never sway judgment. 3. 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. The SC acquitted all the accused, reversing and dismissing the guilty verdict of the RTC and the CA. 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. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . 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. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. 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 . Under the law, prosecutors of a murder case are given 20 years from the time it occurred or the time it was discovered to identify suspects and charge them in court. Visconde Masscre - Weebly 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. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. 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. [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]. 176864. 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. 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. No. 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. "[29] In general, the court said that Alfaro's story "lacks sense or suffers from inherent inconsistencies. The Vizconde massacre - my defining moment | Philstar.com 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. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. Please try again. No. But Villaramas opinion was not considered by the SC in their majority decision. Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures. Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. Even if we were denied justice, I consoled them that at least people already know what really happened, he said. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. Thus, her testimony could not be admitted. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. SC acquits Hubert Webb, 6 others in Vizconde massacre Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. May I invite you to watch?). Sulu in the eyes of my good friend Princess Jacel Kiram is a potential eco-tourism destination and fruit basket of the country. She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. I stood my ground because I had all the facts in my hand. Pinoy murders: The worst true crimes in the Philippines I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. 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. About the Show; You May Also Like . 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. Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. Policewoman Diaz even insulted Allan, saying he had no right to file the attempted rape complaint on behalf of the girl, because he was only the stepfather. 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.
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