. ", 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. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm However, the court pointed out that while Webb or his parents may be able to "arrange for the local immigration to put a March 9, 1991 departure stamp on his passport and an October 27, 1992 arrival stamp", they could not fix a foreign airlines passenger manifest, and the U.S. Immigration's record system. 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]. But big offenses, such as rape or attempted rape, should be filed with the police or the prosecutors office. InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. The film claims to have been based on new evidence from the then-ongoing trial. This has resulted in the revelation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that they no longer had the specimens as these were remanded to the Paraaque courts. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. [29], In his dissenting opinion, Justice Villarama argued that the claim of Webb that he could not have committed the crime because he left for the United States on March 9, 1991, and returned to the Philippines only on October 26, 1992, was correctly rejected by the Regional Trial Court and Court of Appeals. (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. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. 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. 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. The CA rather held that positive and unequivocal declaration is sufficient to support a conviction which was affirmed by the SC. She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. I would not have ended up like this if you had not neglected me). It is time to heal the past. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. TV-14. After the Mass, VACC founding chair Dante Jimenez urged Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against the seven Supreme Court justices who either voted to acquit Webb and coaccused or abstained from voting last December. 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. 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. Both Webb and del Toro could not describe in court what Hubert's work was, Tolentino said. They are Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Cesar Fortuna, Rameses de Jesus and Joel de Jesus. Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde. Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories 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. [2] Lauro Vizconde, Estrellita's husband and the father of Carmela and Jennifer, was in the United States on business when the murders took place. 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. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. The Murder of an Entire Family While Dad Was Abroad for Work ), 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. Police assets are often criminals themselves. With Romeo Vasquez, Elizabeth Oropesa, Robert Arevalo, Tommy Abuel. [9] They were acquitted by a trial judge in September 1993 for insufficient evidence.[9]. The case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. Seven justices based its decision on the following points: Webb, citing Brady v. Maryland, said "that he is entitled to outright acquittal on the ground of violation of his right to due process given the States failure to produce on order of the Court either by negligence or willful suppression the semen specimen taken from Carmela." Therefore, the SCs rejection of Villamaras opinion demonstrates a fundamental contradiction to its September 7 decision on the Abadilla case. Methinks one year would give Eleazar ample time impose his brand of discipline on one of the most undisciplined police forces in the world. LYN RILLON. 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. 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. No. 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." By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The filming location took place in the actual home of the Vizconde's where the massacre took place on June 30, 1991. 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. The other accused were Artemio Dong Ventura, Michael A. Gatchalian, Hospicio Pyke Fernandez, Peter Estrada, Miguel Ging Rodriguez, and Joey Filart. Vizconde massacre timeline | Philstar.com No. G.R. We have ruled that accused-appellant may not invoke the acquittal of the other conspirators to merit the reversal of his conviction for murder. Nos. The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. [29] Includes gruesome real photos from the crime scene. Of the 15 Justices, 7 voted for acquittal while four dissented and four Justices, including Carpio, did not participate.[27][28]. This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. 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. Secondly, Alfaros quality as a witness and her inconsistent, if not inherently unbelievable, testimony cannot be the positive identification that jurisprudence acknowledges as sufficient. The Jessica Alfaro Story in 1995 was meanwhile focused on the star witness, portrayed by Alice Dixson. The Vizconde Massacre. 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. 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. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. Both the SC and the CA affirmed the RTCs sentence of guilty verdict without applying the test on the credibility of a witness as they did in Vizconde case. April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. a contribution to Human Rights work, Asian Human Rights Commission Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. Aug 5, 2008. No. She did not know nor met any of them. Alfaro accused Hubert Webb, son of former senator Freddie Webb, as the mastermind of the massacre, along with five other men, all coming from prominent families. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. His intention was very, very dubious, he said. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. (P.S. This is a violation of the duty of state." But Custodio admits this may be easier said than done. 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. "I doubt that at this time, physical evidence will be available because a lapse of time has taken place, but that's the only way we can find the true killers." Run after Alfaro Firstly, like Alfaro, Alejo also received money and free accommodation from the persons who had interest in his testimony. Indeed, the testimony of a single witness, when positive and credible, is sufficient to support a conviction even for murder. Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 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." Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. I was a barbarian in my college years at the University of the Philippines. It would be a serious miscarriage of justice and a demonstration of inequality before the law should jurisprudence not be applied equally. She had been hanging around that agency for sometime as a stool pigeon, one paid for mixing up with criminals and squealing on them. "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde 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. The High Court put to question the quality of the testamentary evidence furnished by the witnesses. Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. 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. SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. De Lima said it was possible that it was Black Maria who was in the Vizconde home and not Jessica Alfaro, the NBI's star witness during the trial. Still seeking justice for his family's grim fate, Lauro Vizconde exhausts all resources available to him. Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. Your subscription could not be saved. 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. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. She cited the testimony of Alex del Toro, husband of Webb's relative, who said he hired Hubert Webb as an employee at his pesticide company in California. Thus, it was not surprising for Alfaro to testify with great details in court. Yes, but what can I do (?). 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 fight is not over. [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. Kung di ninyo ako pinabayaan, 'di ako magkakaganito. (Fuck you all! 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. The most significant topic that Ive ever written about and which I personally got involved in was the Vizconde massacre. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. [11], The defense produced documents and presented 95 witnesses, including Hubert Webb himself and his father, along with other relatives and friends to support Webb's alibi that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 26, 1992. Copyright 2023. Hopefully, if they will surface, public pressure will snowball and I will finally get the justice I am looking for, he said. InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. 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. Alfaro also said that she bumped into Biong at the Faces Disco in Makati in March 1995 and relayed to her the offer of the group to give her a free ticket to the United States to shut her up. [10] According to the footage of the trial, Alfaro had been able to identify all the defendants by their names. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. And while justice seems elusive, life must go on, Vizcondes grandniece Katherine Asuncion said, reading from a family statement. 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.