This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. :Isumbongwill make a comeback on PTV-4 on June 12, 2021. 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. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. 150 likes. This coincided with his passport and Philippine Immigration records but were dismissed by Tolentino due to belief that these documents can possibly be falsified. 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. It is time to heal the past. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! [139] Against positive evidence, alibi becomes most unsatisfactory. 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. 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. I would not have ended up like this if you had not neglected me). But both the RTC and the CA rejected his defence ruling that his alibi cannot stand against Alfaros positive identification of him as the rapist and killer. So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. Rey and Jerry claimed they saw Webb playing basketball between the months of June and July 1991 during a league in BF Homes. He alleged that Webb bought illegal drugs from him on two other occasions in May 1991. True Crime. 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. 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. Welcome to my maiden column in TheSTAR, now the countrys No. References: The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. In a decision dated January 6, 2000, Paraaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted Webb and the co . Therefore, the applications of the SC on evaluating the defence of alibi of the accused have not been equally applied in these two cases. 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. 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. [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. LYN RILLON. Forensic evidence: In Vizconde case it cannot lie, in Abadilla case it is inconclusive. You will regret it.[58][59] Jack, a village security guard who kept records of the village where Webb lived said he saw Hubert Webb during the time of the massacre. One of the justices, Roberto Abad, who dissented the majority decision affirming the guilty verdict wrote: the public prosecutor 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. Choose Gods endless kind of love., Hernandez also reminded Vizconde that he now had three saints in Heaven.. People cried for justice for the Vizcondes and one of the suspects was Hubert Webb, son of then Paraaque congressman Freddie Webb, who later became a senator. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. 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. 2. ", Jessica Alfaro: Alfaro's e-mail from abroad read. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. [9] They were acquitted by a trial judge in September 1993 for insufficient evidence.[9]. 5. Sulu in the eyes of my good friend Princess Jacel Kiram is a potential eco-tourism destination and fruit basket of the country. [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]. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. 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. 'Hubert Webb was in PH during Vizconde massacre' - ABS-CBN News [56] According to De Lima, all the new witnesses passed the polygraph test. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . He and six others spent 15 years in jail. The San Jose police station eventually received and filed the complaint with the prosecutors office in Batangas City, only after my staff at Isumbong mo kay Tulfo told them Diazs arrogance would reach Camp Crame. On the contrary, it reopens it. Hubert Webb - Wikipedia InVizconde case: The SC applied two tests in rejecting the positive identification of Alfaro: firstly, the credibility of a witness; secondly, the testimony should be believable, not inherently contrived. 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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. A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. 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. [48] Other witnesses say Webb was in the Philippines at the time of the murders. 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 . The court said the "portion of Alfaro's story appears tortured to accommodate the physical evidence of the ransacked house" adding that "it is a story made to fit in with the crime scene although robbery was supposedly not the reason Webb and his companions entered that house". Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. 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. 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. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. 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. 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. Hello friends! 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". Hong Kong 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. The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served - BusinessMirror 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. [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. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. 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. It held that a positive declaration from a witness that he saw the accused commit the crime should not automatically cancel out the accuseds claim that he did not do it. TV-14. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. Pinoy murders: The worst true crimes in the Philippines Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. Sign up now! 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. Vizconde massacre timeline | Philstar.com 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. 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. Jennifer Diaz, chief of the women and childrens desk, told Allan to file the complaint with the barangay where they reside. . [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. This site uses cookies. 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. Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. I went to the US to check on senator Webbs allegations I paid for my fare and accommodation, by the way and found that, indeed, Hubert was there when the Vizconde women were being butchered at their home in Paraaque. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! 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. You are just a few clicks away from making The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! - IMDb [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. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. No. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm On October 1, 1996, Judge Amelita Tolentino admitted only 10 of the 142 pieces of evidence the defense presented. A news report on Thursday in Business Mirror that headlined Senate grills defense brass on plans for EDCA expansion, sites raised much curiosity for its sheer lack of detailed information. 124871, May 13, 2004. 24, Rule 134, R. Hubert argued that the specimen could exonerate him from the charge and support his defence that he did not rape the victim. The Vizconde Massacre. [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. [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. Pray to them. 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. In this case, the existence of an earlier negative report on the NIIS record on file concerning the entry of appellant Webb into and his exit from the US on March 9, 1991, and October 26, 1992, respectively, had raised serious doubt on the veracity and accuracy of the subsequently issued second certification dated August 31, 1995 which is based merely on a computer print-out of his alleged entry on March 9, 1991, and departure on October 26, 1992. Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. Anyone can be paid! 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. 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. 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. She said that when she entered Hubert's room, she saw him wearing only his pants, awake and smoking in bed. No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. 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. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. 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. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. 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. February 26, 2021. . The lower courts, the Supreme Court said, held that "Webb was actually in Paraaque when the Vizconde killings took place". (P.S. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. 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. Appendix: Case analysis: Supreme Court's rulings on Vizconde and 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. The details of how they were killed were grim. I stand by my story. Abadilla Case Decision from the Court of Appeals:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-CAdecision.pdf. 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. She had been hanging around that agency for sometime as a stool pigeon, one paid for mixing up with criminals and squealing on them. The Vizconde massacre revisited | ABS-CBN News Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. Call 896 6000. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories [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. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. This column will tackle various topics on the days it will come out: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. No. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. So how can such accused penetrate a mind that has been made cynical by the rule drilled into his head that a defense of alibi is a hangmans noose in the face of a witness positively swearing. The NBI is the agency responsible in providing security and protection of witnesses admitted under WPP. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. [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. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. In a 38-page strongly-worded decision promulgated on Tuesday, the . Yes, but what can I do (?). 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". Former Paraaque policeman Gerardo Biong was found guilty as an accessory for burning bedsheets and tampering with other evidence in the crime. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. On June 30, 1991, three Vizconde women Estrellita, 49; her 19-year-old daughter, Carmela and the younger Jennifer, 6 were found dead in their home at BF Homes Village in Paraaque. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. 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. People vs. Bello, G.R. 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. 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. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. 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. LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde 3. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". Another accused, Joey Filart also fled to the United States. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. 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. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. Make a difference. Among the defense witnesses was Artemio Sacaguing, a former, now deceased NBI official who testified that Alfaro was an NBI asset who only volunteered to assume the role of the eyewitness when she could not produce the actual witness to the Vizconde killings. She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. 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. 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. 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. [61], The findings also point to another set of suspects, namely Dong Villadolid and his brother Bing. 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. 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. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. The court also said the same for the issue of the garage light: she claimed that Ventura climbed the car's hood, using a chair, to turn the light off. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. 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. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. The Vizconde massacre made headlines in the Philippines in the '90s and started a trend in filmmaking. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to indemnify the Vizconde family Php 3 million for the murders. TRUTH OUT, HEALING BEGINS. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . He was sentenced to eleven years in prison. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those. Former NBI official Pedro Rivera however dismissed as lies the testimony of Sacaguing saying that Agent Sacaguing had a record of notoriety in the NBI which prompted his transfer to remote places of assignment until his early retirement. The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene. Violent Vizconde Massacre | Crimes That Shocked Asia - YouTube The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. [29], For the alibi to be established "the accused must prove by positive, clear, and satisfactory evidence that he was present at another place at the time of the perpetration of the crime, and that it was physically impossible for him to be at the scene of the crime". Night of June 2930, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were killed in their Paraaque home; Carmela was found to have been raped. 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. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday said the government task force re-investigating the 1991 Vizconde massacre case has found another witness and was convincing him to come out in public and The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. 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 . Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. Vizconde marks 20th year of murders: Time to move on 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.
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