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. 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. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories - Anchor Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde. 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". This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. G.R. [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. 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. Jennifer Diaz, chief of the women and childrens desk, told Allan to file the complaint with the barangay where they reside. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. 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. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. Suspicions, no matter how strong they are, must never sway judgment. [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. But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. VIZCONDE MASSACRE: After 20 Years | GMA News Online She added that suspect Miguel Rodriguez warned her to "shut up or you're gonna get killed" in the same disco on April 8, 1995, prompting her to voluntarily submit herself to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for protection. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. After the shooting, he could have easily and quickly transferred to Camp Crame between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. In a 38-page strongly-worded decision promulgated on Tuesday, the . 3. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm 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. Abadilla Case Decision from the Court of Appeals:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-CAdecision.pdf. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. 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. True Crime. He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. 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. 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. 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. [2] Alfaro said that policeman Gerardo Biong "was instructed by Webb, in my presence, to take care of the house where the incident happened". 124871, May 13, 2004. 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. Includes gruesome real photos from the crime scene. 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." Therefore, the applications of the SC on evaluating the defence of alibi of the accused have not been equally applied in these two cases. 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. Call 896 6000. The details of how they were killed were grim. April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! (1993) - IMDb [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]. Am I dismayed by the decision of the (Supreme Court)? 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. [56][62][63][64] Dang claimed to have heard Dong Villadolid shouting at the top of his voice, saying they had raped and killed a certain Maria (presumed to be Maria Carmela Vizconde) and other persons. 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 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. 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. [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. Let the love of God prevail. Footnote: This article comprises the text of a statement issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission, AHRC-STM-266-2010, dated 21 December 2010. On SPO2 Cesar Fortuna, the RTC, the CA and the SC, accepted the fact that he was at Camp Crame, but the SC affirmed the RTC and the CAs conjecture that it was not impossible for him to have gone to Katipunan road, Blue Ridge, which is relatively near Camp Crame when the shooting happened around 8.40 in the morning. 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. 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. a contribution to Human Rights work, Asian Human Rights Commission Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. Hubert Webb of Vizconde Massacre Freed- Breaking News - theAsianparent 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 - my defining moment | Philstar.com Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures. Biong walks free, insists he's innocent | ABS-CBN News Massacre era | PEP.ph The Vizconde massacre made headlines in the Philippines in the '90s and started a trend in filmmaking. Once again, the SCs applications of jurisprudence on the admissibility of forensic evidence in criminal trial have not been equally applied. 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. Vizconde massacre. 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. Vizconde massacre case: Back to square one | ABS-CBN News 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. The SC rendered its judgment on the Abadilla case on September 7 and on the Vizconde case on December 14 of this year [2010]. 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. 3. [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 case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories 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. :Isumbongwill make a comeback on PTV-4 on June 12, 2021. Appendix: Case analysis: Supreme Court's rulings on Vizconde and [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. Webb's testimony was also contradicted by other US-based defense witnesses who said they usually saw him "going to the beach, malling, bar-hopping or playing basketball. 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. 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. Those initially jailed for. 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. [5] The other defendants were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. Lauro Vizconde the husband of Estrellita and father of Carmela and Jennifer, was in the United State on business when the murders took place. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. . No. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. 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. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia: "The order of release is questionable as it appears to be undemocratic. 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. 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. 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. 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. On Vizconde Massacre, Hubert Webb and the Quest for True Justice (1st
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the truth about vizconde massacre