[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. Their original conviction was capital punishment but their sentence was modified to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished. People vs. Bello, G.R. The court argued that the cited case has been superseded by Arizona v. Youngblood, "where the U.S. Supreme Court held that due process does not require the State to preserve the semen specimen although it might be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". 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. It is that simple. 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. On June 30, 1991, 47-year-old housewife Estrellita Vizconde and daughters Carmela, 18, and Jennifer, 7, were found dead in their residence in BF Homes in Paraaque. Manila Times Special Report on the Vizconde Case, G.R. Vizconde Massacre | FreebookSummary This site uses cookies. The lower courts, the Supreme Court said, held that "Webb was actually in Paraaque when the Vizconde killings took place". Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. a contribution to Human Rights work, Asian Human Rights Commission G/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road Sulu in the eyes of my good friend Princess Jacel Kiram is a potential eco-tourism destination and fruit basket of the country. [10] According to the footage of the trial, Alfaro had been able to identify all the defendants by their names. Vizconde said his quest for justice was continuing despite the end of the prescription period for the prosecution of his familys killers. Vizconde marks 20th year of murders: Time to move on Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! This was how Lauro Vizcondes relatives summed it up on Thursday night after a Mass marking the 20th anniversary of the death of his wife Estrellita and daughters Carmela and Jennifer. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. 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. 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 . The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. That's all crap! The passing away of Lauro Vizconde a few days ago does not close the sad chapter on the tragedy known as the Vizconde massacre. The case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. This is one of the most controversial and widely publicised massacre cases because of the involvement of the son of a former Philippine . 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. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. 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(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. [55], On June 28, 2011, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Hubert Webb was in the Philippines when the murders took place. 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. Make a difference. 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. During the trial, accused Webb made a defence of alibi claiming that he was in the United States when the massacre of the Vizcondes happened. The Vizconde Massacre | Shows | discovery+ The President has time and again said that he was very tired of running the country and, if he had his way, would have stepped down. From there she allegedly saw Lejano and Ventura take a knife from the kitchen drawer, while the rest of the gang acted as lookouts. Among the defense witnesses was Artemio Sacaguing, a former, now deceased NBI official who testified that Alfaro was an NBI asset who only volunteered to assume the role of the eyewitness when she could not produce the actual witness to the Vizconde killings. The filming location took place in the actual home of the Vizconde's where the massacre took place on June 30, 1991. Herbas and Alejo worked for the Abadillas as security guards. ), 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. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. 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. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. 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 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. 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: After 20 Years | GMA News Online [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. 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. The Vizconde Massacre | GMA News Online 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. While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. Tolentino also said, the photographs and videotapes purportedly showing Webb in the United States appeared to be tampered. [29] SC slams 'unbelievable' testimony of Vizconde massacre witness Choose Gods endless kind of love., Hernandez also reminded Vizconde that he now had three saints in Heaven.. Webb was the prime suspect of the infamous homicide that occurred on June 30, 1991. When the accused appealed the decision, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the judgement of conviction by the RTC. All rights are reserved. Pray to them. 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. Francisco Kit Hernandez celebrated Mass. His intention was very, very dubious, he said. The Vizconde massacre - my defining moment | Philstar.com 150 likes. No. Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. Another accused, Joey Filart also fled to the United States. 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. Policewoman Diaz even insulted Allan, saying he had no right to file the attempted rape complaint on behalf of the girl, because he was only the stepfather. They were victims of gory murder; Carmela was raped before she was killed. [citation needed] (The Philippine Rules of Evidence require official attestation of the authenticity of any public document presented in evidence; as per Sec. 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. Alfaro had testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed. Corona." Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. The case was featured on a Philippine TV show Case Unclosed as its ninth episode, "Vizconde Massacre Case. The readers will notice soon enough the brevity of each topic. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. 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. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. G.R. For those who havent heard aboutIsumbong, the public service program started at Radyo Veritas on June 1, 1991. True Crime. 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 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. When she could not produce the person, Sacaguing continued to press her saying that she might as well assume the role of her informant.. 182555/G.R. He alleged that Webb bought illegal drugs from him on two other occasions in May 1991. While washing Hubert Webb's clothing, Gaviola said she noticed fresh bloodstains on his shirt. Alfaro said that when she went back to the house, she saw the bodies of Estrellita and Jennifer on the bed and Webb raping Carmela on the floor. Vizconde Massacre Case Digest - Philippine True Crime Stories - Anchor 124871, May 13, 2004. Those initially jailed for. You are just a few clicks away from making InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. The Vizconde massacre: Justice not served - BusinessMirror [60] Mario, a hair stylist during the period June 1991, testified that Webb, along with Tony Boy Lejano and Dong Ventura had their haircut. ", Jessica Alfaro: Alfaro's e-mail from abroad read. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. 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. ", 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.