the truth about vizconde massacrewhat causes chills after knee replacement surgery

Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. 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. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. 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. For those who havent heard aboutIsumbong, the public service program started at Radyo Veritas on June 1, 1991. Evid. Footnote: This article comprises the text of a statement issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission, AHRC-STM-266-2010, dated 21 December 2010. The Vizconde massacre has been dubbed as the trial of the century as the accused hailed from prominent families of the Philippines. [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. With Romeo Vasquez, Elizabeth Oropesa, Robert Arevalo, Tommy Abuel. But Villaramas opinion was not considered by the SC in their majority decision. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. Hell never return to the Philippines, said the Thai tourist whose cash was filched by Manila airport security personnel. When we die, that is when we will be given the whole truth May the Lord console you in all your afflictions, The priest said. 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 . Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. Vizconde massacre. 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. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. 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. InVizconde case: The majority of the justices strongly argued against relying on conjectures on deciding the case, particularly on the claim that Hubert Jeffrey could have been in the Philippines, and not in the U.S., when the crime happened. 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. It is that simple. Another accused, Joey Filart also fled to the United States. The tapes were restored by IBM while being monitored by the National Computer Center. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. Webb's travel documents and other paper trail of his stay in the US are unreliable proof of his absence in the Philippines at the time of the commission of the crime charged. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. 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. All of us who have cases in court, dont we realize that if your opponent has money, brace yourself. 182555/G.R. 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. 5. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. InAbadilla case: The SC affirmed the CAs judgement as inconclusive the use of forensic evidence, for example, the fingerprints and ballistic test results, showing that none of the five accused had their fingerprints match to those extracted from the murder victims car. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. For almost two decades, Filipinos have been mystified by the brutal 1991 killing of a mother and her two daughters. 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. Make a difference. 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. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. The Villadolid brothers were mentioned by a certain Rhoda Pujanes alias Dang, who claimed she overheard Villadolid and his friends, including Miguel Rodriguez and Michael Gatchalian (both co-accused of Webb), talking about the massacre during a pot session in 1991. [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. [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. Envy aliens who can avoid PH; pity Pinoys who are stuck here. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. 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. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. This site uses cookies. Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures. February 26, 2021. . : Directed by Carlo J. Caparas. [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. 121234 Hubert Webb et al. She observed Hubert was quite irritated, uneasy, and walked to and fro inside his room. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. G.R. 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. Those initially jailed for. The film claims to have been based on new evidence from the then-ongoing trial. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to indemnify the Vizconde family Php 3 million for the murders. It took the trial and appeal process in this case fifteen years. It was Alejo who had positively identified Joel and Lorenzo (delos Santos) during a police line-up. 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. 176389 / G.R. Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. 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. vs. People of the Philippines et al., 1997, G.R. 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. Aug 5, 2008. They cannot be the bases of conviction as they cannot substitute for the constitutional requirement of proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. 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]. 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. Her mother, Estrellita, 47, and sister, Jennifer, 7, were also killed. She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. The prescription period does not matter to me, its just a date, he said. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. I expected this decision because since the start, I knew that Jessica Alfaro was not entirely telling the truth. 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. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. Fax: +(852) 2698 6367, Copyright 2023 Asian Human Rights Commission. Rey and Jerry claimed they saw Webb playing basketball between the months of June and July 1991 during a league in BF Homes. The Vizconde massacre, dubbed the crime of the 20th century, was my defining moment as a columnist and defender of the oppressed and those wrongfully accused. Alejos testimonies in open court were also not consistent to what he had said to the police investigators immediately after the murder. No. 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. June 30, 1991 for a bicycle he bought from a store in Orange County, Los Angeles, California. 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. 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 Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. He also ordered the Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima to study the possibility of giving compensation to Webb and others. "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. Given the financial resources and political influence of his family, it was not unlikely that Webb could have traveled back to the Philippines before June 2930, 1991 and then departed for the US again, and returning to the Philippines in October 1992. This coincided with his passport and Philippine Immigration records but were dismissed by Tolentino due to belief that these documents can possibly be falsified. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. 3. The court also amended the award of damages from 100,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos, and also upheld the conviction of Biong as accessory to the crime "by abusing his public functions to conceal and destroy the physical evidence in order to prevent the discovery of the crime and by allowing the destruction of the physical evidence, Biong facilitated the escape of the principal accused. The details of how they were killed were grim. 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 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. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. Indeed, if the accused is truly innocent, he can have no other defense but denial and alibi. The lead suspect was Hubert Webb whose father, Freddie Webb was famous as an actor, former basketball player, and Paraaque congressman at the time of the murders. 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. 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. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. To find out more, please click this link. Webb's reliance on the presumption of regularity of official functions, stressing the fact that the US-INS certifications are official documents, is misplaced. Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? [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]. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. 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. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. [29], The court also held that the testimony of the Webb's maid, Mila Gaviola, was also unreliable since she was not able to distinguish if it was Hubert whom she saw on June 30, 1991, nor "did she remember any of the details that happened in the household on the other days". 2. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991. 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." I stood my ground because I had all the facts in my hand. About the Show; You May Also Like . May I invite you to watch?). The trial of the case having been long concluded, the requirements of the law may have been satisfied, but not the demands of justice. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm 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. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. The Vizconde massacre made headlines in the Philippines in the '90s and started a trend in filmmaking. No. Tolentino also found it hard to believe that Webb was working with a pesticide company because he was asthmatic and allergic to various substances. Justo Cabanacan, the security supervisor of the gated community, said that he saw Webb enter the gated community, although he did not record Webb entering in his log book. ), 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. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. The SC required this test as necessary before a testimony of positive identification could be accepted as credible and with merit. He and six others spent 15 years in jail. 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. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. Police assets are often criminals themselves. 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. 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. 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. 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. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. 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. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. 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. On April 28, 1995, National Bureau of Investigations asset and self-confessed drug user Jessica Alfaro came forward to police authorities to shed light on the killing of the Vizconde family. Copyright 2023. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. 132577 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Jeffrey P. Webb, 1999, G.R. Anyone can be paid! Three days after that, he was allegedly approached by Mrs. Webb who reportedly told him, You did not see anything. A week after, Sen. Freddie Webb allegedly told him, You did not see anything. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. [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. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. TV-14. 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. Apart from Alejo, earlier there was another witness, Merlito Herbas. A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. . 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. This column will tackle various topics on the days it will come out: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. [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. 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". 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. My program is the originalsumbungan ng bayan sa radyo(roughly, citizens complaint center on radio). 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". Your subscription could not be saved. 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". 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. Therefore, the applications of the SC on evaluating the defence of alibi of the accused have not been equally applied in these two cases. (1994) Details Release date June 24, 1993 (Philippines) Country of origin Philippines Languages English Filipino Tagalog Filming locations It would be a serious miscarriage of justice and a demonstration of inequality before the law should jurisprudence not be applied equally. Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. [139] Against positive evidence, alibi becomes most unsatisfactory. That's all crap! Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. 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". Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene.

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