All rights are reserved. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. [2][20], The court ruled that the Paraaque RTC was correct in sentencing Webb et al. 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. 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. But Villaramas opinion was not considered by the SC in their majority decision. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. 176864. . 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". 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. I will continue to play that role as long as I live. 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. Vizconde massacre. Pray to them. [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. He alleged that he could not forget Webb because Biong had allegedly threatened him, Do not cheat him. InVizconde case: Jessica Alfaros positive identification was rejected because she did not meet the test of a credible witness and that what she personally saw must be believable, not inherently contrived. Therefore, the SCs rejection of Villamaras opinion demonstrates a fundamental contradiction to its September 7 decision on the Abadilla case. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. December 14, 2010:http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm 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. (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. [51] On March 18, Hubert Webb filed a lawsuit against Jessica Alfaro for false testimony at the Paraaque Prosecutor's Office. 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. February 26, 2021. . As to the failure to present the forensic evidence and its subsequent loss, the SC held: the semen specimen taken from Carmela cannot possibly lie. This was a case that was solved nine years after the murders and then unsolved 10 years later. 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. Massacre era. The men were released on Dec. 14 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro against Webb. 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. Two of the accused have also been acquitted by the RTC on the basis of their defence of alibis. It strictly laid down these as the least requirement in evaluating the credibility of the claim of positive identification. The majority of the justices also rejected as conjecture the argument of one of the dissenting justices, Martin Villarama Jr., that it would not have been impossible during the interregnum for Webb to travel back to the country and again fly to the US several times considering that the travel time on board an airline from the Philippines to San Francisco, and from San Francisco to the Philippines takes only about twelve (12) to fourteen (14) hours. 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. But to Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court, the truth was the account of star witness Jessica Alfaro. As a result, the court reverses the decision of the Court of Appeals, and acquits Webb, et al. Theyre projecting Digong as a feeble old man still seeking power. Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde. Shades of what happened in the 2004 elections, when a national official was paid a huge sum to run under a political party. 1. To find out more, please click this link. April 28, 1995 Jessica Alfaro presents herself as a witness and accuses Hubert Webb. True Crime. The 47-year-old Estrellita had 13 stab wounds.
The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! - IMDb Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved.
Based on my findings, I defended Hubert in my column and in my radio and TV programs. 182555/G.R. I incurred the ire of the citizenry, including some of my fellow columnists in theInquirer,for my defense of Hubert. [48] Other witnesses say Webb was in the Philippines at the time of the murders. G.R. [53], Lauro Vizconde, family patriarch and the founding president of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, died on February 13, 2016, at the age of 77. Originally, there were seven accused charged in this case. She did not know nor met any of them.
The Vizconde Massacre | GMA News Online 1 newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. 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. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. No. The defense questioned Alfaro's credibility noting that she admitted to being under the influence of drugs when she allegedly witnessed the crime and had made inconsistent statements on her two affidavits. 16:53. 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. I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. Justice Villarama argued that a photocopy of Webbs passport in court to support his alibi and the testimonies of witnesses, mostly his relatives and friends, could not be given merit, by cautioning his fellow justices that it can be gleaned from the fact that passports and plane tickets indicating dates of arrival and departure do not necessarily prove that the very same person actually took the flight and added that indeed, alibi cannot be sustained where it is not only without credible corroboration, but also where it does not, on its face, demonstrate the physical impossibility of the accuseds presence at the place and time of the commission of the crime. 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. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. 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. 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.
The Visconde Massacre Case - Filipino Journal She said the same MRT provided data that several Webbs arrived in the country, including Hubert, sometime in October 1992. Copyright 2023. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. For example, it rejected as not impartial the corroborating testimony of Augusto Santoss brother-in-law that he was at the hospital with him when Abadilla was murdered. Nos. Evid. 3. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. [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. But big offenses, such as rape or attempted rape, should be filed with the police or the prosecutors office. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. The SC, however, held that by failing to prove the existence of a relationship between Hubert and Carmela; and that the lover that Alfaro claimed that Carmela had met did not come forward in public or in court, her testimonies about the accused and the victims were like a piece of jigsaw puzzle trimmed to fit into the shape on the board but does not belong because it clashes with the surrounding pieces and the lover was a mere ghost of the imagination of Alfaro, the woman who made a living informing on criminals. No two persons have the same DNA fingerprint, with the exception of identical twins. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. 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. Police assets are often criminals themselves. 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. On the contrary, it reopens it. By providing an email address. It is time to heal the past. The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. 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. Raul de Leon et. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . 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. Sign up now! InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. Thus, it was not surprising for Alfaro to testify with great details in court. 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." He was sentenced to eleven years in prison. [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. 2. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. [50], On January 18, 2011, the Supreme Court denied Lauro Vizconde's motion to reverse the acquittal because of double jeopardy. Many of the stories in my columns in previous newspapers were complaints from citizens. 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. 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. ), Moreover, Judge Tolentino also denied Webb's request to subject semen samples to DNA testing on the belief that the samples may no longer be intact. Rodolfo Sison, the police investigator originally assigned to the case in 1991. The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial.
Vizconde Massacre Case - Pinoy Stories [25][26], On December 14, 2010, the Supreme Court reversed the earlier judgment of the lower court and Court of Appeals and acquitted seven of the nine accused, including Hubert Webb, finding that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused were guilty beyond reasonable doubt. "[29] In general, the court said that Alfaro's story "lacks sense or suffers from inherent inconsistencies. 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. Early Thursday, Lauro Vizconde went to Holy Cross Memorial Park and laid bouquets of roses on the tombs of his wife and daughters.
Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth - Facebook I stood my ground because I had all the facts in my hand. The trial began in August 1995 before Paraaque RTC Judge Amelita Tolentino. 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. 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. Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. [58] George, a drug dealer, claimed he was introduced to Webb by former SPO1 Gerardo Biong sometime in April 1991 where the young Webb allegedly purchased from him 10grams of shabu worth P10,000. 2. Webbs son, Hubert Jeffrey, is also the brother of a television host, Pinky, in one of the largest television networks in the country. Methinks one year would give Eleazar ample time impose his brand of discipline on one of the most undisciplined police forces in the world. Hello friends! 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.
The Vizconde Massacre: God, Help Us! - sirasa.dixiesewing.com Hubert and his co-accused were convicted by the Paraaque Regional Trial Court for the crime on June 6, 2000. Don't miss out on the latest news and information. September 7, 2010http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/september2010/182555.htm [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. Sulu in the eyes of my good friend Princess Jacel Kiram is a potential eco-tourism destination and fruit basket of the country. The massacre and surrounding events were depicted in the 1993 film The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) 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. There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. [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. 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". A police officer, Gerardo Biong, has also been charged for destroying the evidence at the crime scene. 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. Thus, her testimony could not be admitted. 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. De Lima also said seven new witnesses claimed they saw Webb in the country during the months of April, May and June 1991.
SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness The Vizconde Massacre | Shows | discovery+ "[29], The court maintained that for a person to be convicted there should not be "a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt." However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. 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. Nine years later, still no clarity on EDCA sites.
Visconde Masscre - Weebly 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. 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. Person of interest in hazing case of Adamson student found dead, Jeepney phaseout: Its more than just new vehicles, Sandiganbayan convicts ex-Pagcor chair Genuino of graft, House energy committee chair Arroyo bats for cheap electricity, LIVE UPDATES: Face-to-face classes, work suspended as transport strike looms, vivo announces PHP 1,000 price drop on vivo V25e, Kickstart summer with vivos hot smartphone deals this 3.3, Over 24,000 hectares of coral reef at risk following Mindoro oil spill, Frat members planned to burn Adamson hazing victims body police | INQToday, Joey de Leon laughs off Eat Bulaga rebranding rumors; Tito Sotto meets up with show producer Tony Tuviera, LIST: LGUs, schools suspend face-to-face classes, work as transport strike looms, NBA: Devin Booker, Suns cruise past Bulls in second half. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. He alleged that Webb bought illegal drugs from him on two other occasions in May 1991. 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. 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. This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. [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. 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. In a decision dated January 6, 2000, Paraaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted Webb and the co .
The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. 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. The lower courts, however, reasoned that "Webb's alibi cannot stand against Alfaro's positive identification of him." Jennifer Diaz, chief of the women and childrens desk, told Allan to file the complaint with the barangay where they reside.
Hubert Webb of Vizconde Massacre Freed- Breaking News - theAsianparent 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." The SC did not apply the two tests it invoked on the Vizconde case before accepting the positive identification of Alejo as credible, and him as a credible witness. 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. This policewoman is either ignorant of the law or plain lazy. 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. On the night of June 29, 1991, Asuncion was supposed to have a sleepover with Jennifer at the latters home in Paraaque City. 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 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". SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness. He then hurled the little girl to a wall and started stabbing her. The DoJ also placed Alfaro under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the trial period.
Massacre era | PEP.ph 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. Under the law, prosecutors of a murder case are given 20 years from the time it occurred or the time it was discovered to identify suspects and charge them in court.
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