the truth about vizconde massacrekhatim sourate youssouf

Nos. [29] G/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road Nephews had posted a banner declaring "Truth prevails 20 years after" and demanding "Final justice for the Vizconde massacre victims," in apparent reference to government probers' claims . 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. As a host of the program that carries my surname, I and my all-female staff have handled complaints from citizens, concerning abusive or arrogant policemen and other government functionaries. 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. [12] (Under Philippine law, generally, alibi is the weakest defense, especially where there is direct testimony of an eyewitness, duly corroborated by another. October 1, 1996 Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paraaque RTC rejected 132 of the defense's 142 pieces of evidence. 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. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? 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. No. Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. Six months is not enough for him to clean up the Aegean stable that is the PNP. But her parents did not allow her to go. True Crime. Lejano and Ventura also took turns raping Carmela, before finishing her off with numerous stabs. 2. Only minor cases, like oral defamation and quarrel between neighbors, are handled by the barangay. At any rate, Rameses de Jesus admitted that they were using the new car of Lenido Lumanog. The case of the Vizconde Massacre took another direction only after four years, when Jessica Alfaro surfaced and became the case's star witness. He said that he heard Hubert Webb quarreling with another young looking customer. 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 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. [18], In her decision, Tolentino described the testimony of defense witnesses as full of inconsistencies and biased. 'Ms. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. [47], On December 28, 2010, new witnesses have come forward accusing Hubert Webb and others of allegedly being behind the Vizconde massacre. Knowing this, I cannot but hesitate to swallow everything that Alejo said at the trial. She was the prosecutions worst possible choice for a witness. The filming location took place in the actual home of the Vizconde's where the massacre took place on June 30, 1991. Webbs co-accused, Antonio Lejano, is a son of a known singer and celebrity. 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. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. 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 testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. 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. [46], President Benigno Aquino III ordered the law enforcement agencies to re-investigate the case six months before the prescription period lapses. 3. 176864. 5. [52] On June 14, 2011, Hubert Webb filed a P180,000 compensation claim for "unlawful conviction" for the Vizconde massacre. To find out more, please click this link. 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. [22], On October 8, 2010, Webb filed an urgent motion for acquittal. 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. [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. I also updated them on the new twist in the investigation. This contradicted Hubert Webb's claim that he was in the United States from March 9, 1991, to October 27, 1992. 1. It cautioned itself from accepting the testimonies of witnesses without applying these tests. 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. It was based on the rule of the minority and not the majority as they (the SC justices) had enunciated in Fortich v. Birrer said she had accompanied Biong to the Vizconde house to destroy the evidence and to retrieve Webb's jacket and the murder weapon. The Truth about Mendiola Massacre - Philippine True Crime Stories | Martin Rules. [4] In the Trial Court (People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et al., G.R. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. 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. Biong was released from jail on November 30, 2010, after serving his sentence. Acting solely on Alfaros testimony, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed charges of rape with homicide against the eight accused on August 1995. I can't express enough how sad and unjust today's story. al., 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vizconde_murders&oldid=1138122178, Loss of DNA evidence not a ground for outright acquittal. "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 They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to indemnify the Vizconde family Php 3 million for the murders. 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. Alejo confirmed these two (2) as the persons he saw from his guard post walking to and fro before the shooting incident. Credibility of a witness: In Vizconde case not credible, but credible in the Abadilla case. Equal protection of the law is fundamental in the countrys Constitution. al, 1995, G.R. InVizconde case: The SC has given weight to the importance of forensic evidence in a court trial. The SC acquitted all the accused, reversing and dismissing the guilty verdict of the RTC and the CA. 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. 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. 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. This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 03:37. 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. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. 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. Firstly, in the Vizconde case, the SC still held as credible the corroborating testimonies of the witnesses favouring Hubert Jeffrey who are mostly his relatives and friends in support of his defence of alibi. The prosecution did not present him as their witness during the trial. 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. Jennifer woke up and, seeing Webb violating her sister, jumped on him and bit him. 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. 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. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Similar to the accused in the Vizconde case, all the accused in the Abadilla case invoked their defence of alibi. But to Judge Amelita Tolentino of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court, the truth was the account of star witness Jessica Alfaro. 808 bound for New York and who expressed doubt on whether Hubert Webb was his co-passenger in the trip; NBI medico-legal Dr. Prospero Cabanayan, Belen Dometita and Teofilo Minoza, two of the Vizconde maids; and Manciano Gatmaitan, an engineer. Webb wanted Alfaro, the then-girlfriend of one of the accused men, Peter Estrada, to join them because Estrellita Vizconde only allowed her daughter to go out and entertain female visitors. It cannot be coached or allured by a promise of reward or financial support. 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. [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. Lorenzo delos Santos was acquitted due to lack of evidence, but the RTC, the CA and the SC ignored that fact that the same positive identification it invoked in convicting the Abadilla Five came from exactly the same testimonies that have been used to acquit Delos Santos. [54] He was laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park Sucat on February 17. VIZCONDE MASSACRE: 20 YEARS, TWO FACES OF JUSTICE Report by Maki Pulido It is one of the most controversial cases in the country's history, the most shocking crime in the 90s - the Vizconde Massacre. Kung di ninyo ako pinabayaan, 'di ako magkakaganito. (Fuck you all! [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. The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. White was mistaken in saying that Gatchalian and company went in and out of the gated community many times, since they only entered once. 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. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! The other defendants were Antonio Lejano II, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada, Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. 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. He alleged that he could not forget Webb because Biong had allegedly threatened him, Do not cheat him. 182555/G.R. [13][14], Other prosecution witnesses were: Carlos J. Cristobal who alleged that on March 9, 1991, he was a passenger of United Airlines Flight No. Remember that death is the ultimate equalizer. 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. 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 film claims to have been based on new evidence from the then-ongoing trial. Conjectures and suspicions are not facts, hence, they have no evidentiary value. A second movie, The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II, was released in 1994. In their alibis, Joel de Jesus claimed he was driving his passenger tricycle in Fairview, Quezon City the whole day; for SPO2 Cesar Fortuna, he was at Camp Crame (headquarters of the Philippine National Police, PNP) for official business and his presence was also corroborated by two police officials whom he had transacted business with; for Augusto Santos, he was at the Jose Fabella Hospital in Sta. He also claimed to have heard Hubert shout, Putang ina nyo! Im still hoping for a miracle to happen. Forensic evidence: In Vizconde case it cannot lie, in Abadilla case it is inconclusive. Vizconde Massacre: The hidden Truth. [29], For the alibi to be established "the accused must prove by positive, clear, and satisfactory evidence that he was present at another place at the time of the perpetration of the crime, and that it was physically impossible for him to be at the scene of the crime". Those initially jailed for. 185123/G.R. Sison was ordered to desist from further investigating that angle by then Philippine National Police Capital Region Commander Marino Filart after six members of akyat bahay gang (burglars) were arrested by Regional Police Unit in October 1991. 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". So, some sectors are calling for Eleazars extension until after the May 2022 elections. 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." On the contrary, it reopens it. starring Kris Aquino as Carmela Vizconde. Former Paraaque policeman Gerardo Biong was found guilty as an accessory for burning bedsheets and tampering with other evidence in the crime. I will kill you, brandishing a shiny revolver. Police assets are often criminals themselves. However, keep in mind not to be vindictive. [2][12] Security guards Justo Cabanacan and Normal White. 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. Webb was among the nine people convicted by Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Presiding Judge Amelita Tolentino in January 2000 for the killings. It held that the acquittal of their co-accused does not necessarily benefit the appellants. No. God would be stupid to borrow Digongs words if He gifts him the vice presidency the second time around. 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. Even if we were denied justice, I consoled them that at least people already know what really happened, he said. Carpio testified for the defense during the trial. Reporters jostled with Vizcondes relatives and friends in his garage, where Fr. 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. [2] Two of the accused remain fugitives from the law: Joey Filart and Artemio Ventura. 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 remains of his wife and daughters were also exhumed from their grave at Holy Cross Memorial Park in Quezon City and transferred to his grave. The readers will notice soon enough the brevity of each topic. The term dirty politics is appropriate for that kind of set-up. [2][3] Estrellita Vizconde, 49, suffered thirteen stab wounds; Carmela Vizconde, 19, suffered seventeen stab wounds and had been raped before she was killed; and Anne Marie Jennifer, 6, had nineteen stab wounds. LYN RILLON. [49], On January 4, 2011, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said suspect Joey Filart was spotted in the United States. Like Herbas, court records had also shown that Alejo has been receiving money and free accommodation from the Abadillas. On October 1, 1996, Judge Amelita Tolentino admitted only 10 of the 142 pieces of evidence the defense presented.

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