No. 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. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. Hello friends! 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. 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. [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. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. 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 Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. ", The victims of the massacre (from left to right): Jennifer, Carmela, and Estrellita Vizconde, "The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served", "Lauro Vizconde to be buried in same grave with family Wednesday", "Manila Standard Google News Archive Search", "The Manila Times Internet Edition SPECIAL REPORT > Questions linger in Vizconde case", The Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 31, 2010, "Philippine Daily Inquirer Google News Archive Search", "NBI exec: We've turned over semen specimen from Vizconde girl to court", "2 SC justices asked to go on leave pending Vizconde decision", "SC sues for time, defers ruling on Vizconde case", Philippine Daily Inquirer, SC Acquits Webb et al, "Supreme Court decision on Webb et al re Vizconde Massacre", Lauro Vizconde in tears, Webbs on 'cloud nine', Gary, Kris speak up on Hubert's acquittal, Outrage over decision, sympathy for Vizconde, Ruling raises more questions, lawyers point out, Vizconde kin question why Webb was released so quickly, Alfaro unwilling to testifying anew in Vizconde case Jessica Alfaro stands by story, Criminal law experts umalma sa pag-absuwelto ng SC kay Webb, Ex-VP Guingona to SC: Reverse Webb's acquittal to give justice to Vizconde, "Another 'Joey Filart' still under detention", "New Vizconde massacre witnesses surface", New witnesses to prove Webb in PH during Vizconde massacre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Hubert Webb seeks P180K compensation for 'unlawful' conviction, NBI, PNP teams probe 3 sets of Vizconde slay suspects, Vizconde massacre has new set of witnesses, Evidence, witnesses 'shatter' Webb alibi: task force, DoJ chief: No credible proof of Webb in crime scene, De Lima hints at explosive breakthrough in Vizconde probe. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre 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. Cabanacan said Webb had entered the subdivision (where the Vizconde house was located) a few days before the massacre and that he even identified himself as the son of then Congressman Webb. 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. 187745. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. The CA in effect crafted and formulated the conjectures giving them the appreciation similar to facts offered as evidence where it had based the judgment. This policewoman is either ignorant of the law or plain lazy. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. For example, the prosecutor, instead of admitting Alejo to the WPP during trial, rather 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. I became a villain in the eyes of the citizenry that was crying for blood; but I was steadfast. The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. But Villaramas opinion was not considered by the SC in their majority decision. Hubert and his co-accused were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court for the crime on June 6, 2000. 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. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. Lauro Vizconde the husband of Estrellita and father of Carmela and Jennifer, was in the United State on business when the murders took place. [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. This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. 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. "[21], In April 2010, the Supreme Court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from Carmela Vizconde. This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. 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. For there is no law requiring that the testimony of a simple [sic] witness should be corroborated for it to be accorded full faith and credit. The public and the media continue to watch as the years go by . Hong Kong My program is the originalsumbungan ng bayan sa radyo(roughly, citizens complaint center on radio). Sacaguing broke the guidelines in taking affidavits from witnesses. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. 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. Choose Gods endless kind of love., Hernandez also reminded Vizconde that he now had three saints in Heaven.. No. I did that hoping to make them have second thoughts about doing so,.There is no justice in the Philippines. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. 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. The Vizconde massacre has been dubbed as the trial of the century as the accused hailed from prominent families of the Philippines. 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. Yes, but what can I do (?). After she finished the laundry, she went to the servant's quarters. 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. Nos. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! The RTC, however, acquitted Delos Santos despite being positively identified also by Alejo as one of those who was present at the crime scene. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. 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. 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. VIZCONDE MASSACRE CASE: This case is about the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman, the murder of her 7-year-old sister and their mother on June 30, 1991 at their home in Paranaque City, Metro Manila. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. 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. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. White, on the other hand, said he saw the three cars enter the subdivision on the night of June 29, as Alfaro had testified; White also testified that policeman Gerardo Biong was the first to arrive at the crime scene. [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. Kaya laban lang tayo. On January 4, 2000, the Regional Trial Court of Paranaque City rendered its judgement finding all the accused guilty as charged imposing a penalty of life imprisonment. Eleazar, a strict disciplinarian, is probably the only PNP chief who is loved and respected by the citizenry. Thus, it was not surprising for Alfaro to testify with great details in court. No. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. This site uses cookies. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. Hubert argued that the specimen could exonerate him from the charge and support his defence that he did not rape the victim. 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. 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). Sources from the Department of Justice said Webb, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court last December, 2010, was in the country during and after the crime happened in . 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 . Abadilla Case Petition for Review on Certiorario:http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/abadilla5/docs/A5-FinalAppealPetition.pdf Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. [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. 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. 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. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. The details of how they were killed were grim. 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 said that being elected president is a gift from God. But the grieving father couldn't distinguish the truth from the lies. The Vizconde massacre made headlines in the Philippines in the '90s and started a trend in filmmaking. 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. June 14, 1993 - Vizconde Massacre solved; 'brains,' three others fall Police finish investigation of the Vizconde case with the arrest of the suspected mastermind and three other suspects,. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. 176389 / G.R. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. [56] According to De Lima, all the new witnesses passed the polygraph test. [8] If, on examination, the DNA of the subject specimen does not belong to Webb, then he did not rape Carmela. 185123/G.R. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. The massacre and surrounding events were depicted in the 1993 film The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) Aug 5, 2008. 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. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. 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. The court ruled that Alfaro was "a stool pigeon, one who earned her living by fraternizing with criminals so she could squeal on them to her NBI handlers." No. I stood my ground because I had all the facts in my hand. 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. (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. Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. It is that simple. "[29], The court held that security guard Normal E. White, Jr.'s testimony was unreliable. 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. 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 men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. In the Vizconde case, the SC does not accept conjecture as the basis of its decision. [9] They were acquitted by a trial judge in September 1993 for insufficient evidence.[9]. 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. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. She did not show up at the NBI as a spontaneous witness (only after four years) bothered by her conscience. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. [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. Lauro Vizconde on Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the murders of his wife and two daughters at his residence in BF Homes, Paraaque City. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. The case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. [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. 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. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. 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". :Isumbongwill make a comeback on PTV-4 on June 12, 2021. Vizconde should go after the national government. 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. May I invite you to watch?). 182555/G.R. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. The prescription period does not matter to me, its just a date, he said. A lying witness can make as positive an identification as a truthful witness can. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. 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.
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