After reading about how responsive Secretary Benhur Abalos is to matters raised by the media, some members of the PNP, particularly in the province of Iloilo, have shared through channels about their operational Local producers wont like it, but it looks like in the near future, there will be a flood of imported agricultural commodities. Firstly, the SC held Alfaro was not a credible witness. My program is the originalsumbungan ng bayan sa radyo(roughly, citizens complaint center on radio). Alfaro testified that as Webb followed Carmela into the dining room, she decided to step outside for a smoke. 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". The Supreme Court acquitted them on Dec. 14, 2010. Like the accused in the Vizconde case and for any other cases for that matter, the accused in the Abadilla murder case also deserve equal protection of the law. But her parents did not allow her to go. So how can such accused penetrate a mind that has been made cynical by the rule drilled into his head that a defense of alibi is a hangmans noose in the face of a witness positively swearing. 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. 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. 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. . Tel: +(852) 2698 6339 2. 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. 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. 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. The people urging President Rodrigo Digong Duterte to run for vice president in the 2022 elections are making fun of him. She took advantage of her familiarity with these details to include in her testimony. The prosecution of this case only began in August 10, 1995, four years after the massacre happened, when Jessica Alfaro, an informant working for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), told lawyer Artemio Sacaguing, an official of the NBI, that she knew someone who had the real story behind the Vizconde massacre. [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. There was only one vital witness for the prosecution, Freddie Alejo. But feeling uneasy, she decided to go up to the stockroom near Hubert's room to see what he was doing. Ho Man Tin, Kowloon While the SC rejected Alfaros testimony being not a credible witness, it held Alejo still a credible witness despite the inconsistencies in his testimony. 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. Lauro Vizconde: "Is there still anyone among you who doubts that there is rampant corruption in our government? By providing an email address. But in the Abadilla case, the relatives and friends are not an impartial witness to corroborate the defence of alibi of the accused. On December 14, 2010, the SC rendered its decision on the appeals of the accused, questioning the guilty verdict by the RTC and the CA. "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 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. 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. The NBI is a special investigating body attached to the DoJ. 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. 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. Alibi cannot prevail over the positive identification of a credible witness [140].. The DoJ also placed Alfaro under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the trial period. After 15 years behind bars, Hubert Webb and 5 others in the Vizconde massacre case (Manila-Philippines) were released from prison on Tuesday. Connections Followed by The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II - May the Lord Be with Us! Nos. [60], Although Webb's group can no longer be retried because of double jeopardy, De Lima said the purpose of the reinvestigation was to uncover the truth and bring closure to Lauro Vizconde.[65][66]. (P.S. 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. On June 30, 1991, Estrellita Vizconde and her two daughters: Carmela and Jennifer, were found lifeless inside their home in Paraaque. The court rejected his testimony because he was a disgruntled witness. The CA held that these ballistic results are inconclusive and can never prevail over appellants positive identification by eyewitness Freddie Alejo. Apart from Alejo, earlier there was another witness, Merlito Herbas. I will be conferring with my lawyers about my future moves.. Please try again. 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. Since I was introduced to The STAR readers in the front page, Ill hit the ground running. When we die, that is when we will be given the whole truth May the Lord console you in all your afflictions, The priest said. 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. After she finished the laundry, she went to the servant's quarters. Webb's travel documents and other paper trail of his stay in the US are unreliable proof of his absence in the Philippines at the time of the commission of the crime charged. By her account, after a drug session with the group, Webb allegedly had hatched his plan to rape Carmela Vizconde. Alejo had been under the Abadillas custody and protection instead of that of the WPP of the government. The jurisprudence mentioned above that the SC invoked has not been equally applied. Among those present were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona; Arsenio Boy Evangelista, father of carjack victim Venson Evangelista; Dacer-Corbito witness Cezar Mancao and his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio; and members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC). LIKE me to support Mr. Vizconde On the acquittal of Lorenzo delos Santos, the accused whom Alejo had also positively identified, it ruled that his acquittal did not damage Alejos credibility; and his positive identification of the accused. Episode on July 5, 2011 Tuesday after Saksi! With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. It was Alejo who had positively identified Joel and Lorenzo (delos Santos) during a police line-up. The court also said that it was "possible for Alfaro to lie" on the details of the case. 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. Youd be surprised who the people are behind the call for his extension; some of them are top politicians. Remember when I made the disclosure that someone is pressuring the justices to vote for a reversal? We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. I stand by my story. Defence of Alibi: In Vizconde case not admissible, in Abadilla case court acted on conjectures. Secondly, in the Abadilla case the SC held that the defense of alibi is weak, but in the Vizconde case it held that not all denials and alibis should be regarded as fabricated. 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. No. 1. Vizconde said his quest for justice was continuing despite the end of the prescription period for the prosecution of his familys killers. Needless to say, were unpopular with the PNP and other government agencies that citizens transact business with. InAbadilla case: The SC admitted the positive identification of witness Freddie Alejo when it considered him a credible witness. 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. InAbadilla case: Both the RTC and the CA did not apply this test of credibility of a witness before accepting the testimony of Alejo. This site uses cookies. 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. It strictly laid down these as the least requirement in evaluating the credibility of the claim of positive identification. 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. 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. 176864 People of the Philippines vs. Hubert Webb, et. [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. 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. It is hard to believe this there is a record of supposed arrival from other country but no record of departure in 1991 or in any month of 1991, she said. Pray to them. Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. Asuncion, 27, was a constant playmate of Jennifer Vizconde, who was 7 years old when she was killed. It was hard to tell which made up the truth and the lies. Besides the horror itself, the suspected perpetrators included high-society figures. People cried for justice for the Vizcondes and one of the suspects was Hubert Webb, son of then Paraaque congressman Freddie Webb, who later became a senator. Published July 4, 2011 7:24pm. [15] The accused alleged that by rejecting 132 of the 142 pieces of evidence, Tolentino had set the tone for their conviction. But, unlike the house robbers, however the court points out that "Webb and his friends did not have anything to do in a darkened garage. About the Show; You May Also Like . Former Paraaque City cop Gerardo Biong walked free from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after serving a 12-year sentence. [6], Alfaro's testimony coincided with the angle that was being explored by Supt. Alfaro could not possibly prove the relationship between Hubert and Carmela, as they were strangers to each other, and Alfaro also could not have possibly identified the other accused because all of them were strangers to her.

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