The Visconde Massacre Recall
If you could recall, the Vizconde Massacre was the multiple murder of members of the Vizconde family; Estrellita, Carmela and Anna Marie Jennifer, on June 30, 1991 at their house in BF Homes, Parañaque City, in the Philippines. Carmela Vizconde was gang raped before she was murdered on their own home. Mr. Lauro Vizconde, the father, was in the United States back then when the murders took place. The Vizconde Murder case became one of the most sensational case in the country mostly because the accused were children of rich and influential families, including Hubert Webb, the son of former PBA basketball player and Senator Freddie Webb. The case remained unsolved for almost four years until the witness Jessica Alfaro testified that she knew the suspects and was at the Vizconde house when the crime was committed.
Jessica Alfaro submitted an affidavit of her accounts and attested that she was a former drug addict. It was also evident in several footage of the trial that Alfaro identified all the defendants by their names.
Among other critical pieces of evidence that was not admitted by Judge Amelita Tolentino, was the suspicious "note verbale" from the United States Embassy claiming that Hubert Webb was in the United States at the time of the massacre (Please view the video). Judge Tolentino would accept this evidence only if then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright would testify as to validate the note verbale's contents. But Judge Tolentino did not.
Furthermore, Judge Tolentino also denied Webb's request to subject semen samples to DNA testing on the belief that the Philippines has no capabilities and facilities to extract such physical evidence.
During that period, three (3) movies pop-up related to the Vizconde Massacre in which generates a lot of speculation and sensationalized the story further. In addition the different Media theory, boils the accused more to the case.
The (3) three movies were:
The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help Us!) - 1993 ( Kris Aquino )
The Vizconde Massacre Story II (May the Lord Be with Us) – 1994 ( Vina Morales )
Jessica Alfaro Story - 1995 ( by Alice Dixon )
On January 6, 2000, the presiding judge in the case rendered her decision, sentencing Hubert Webb, Peter Estrada, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Antonio Lejano II and Miguel Rodriguez to life imprisonment. The presiding dismissed a lot of evidences in which it should have proved that Hubert Webb was 6000 miles from the incident.
Parañaque RTC and NBI Pointing Fingers on Each Other, Major... Major... Booh! booh!
According to news last April 2010, the Philippine Supreme court approved DNA testing to be performed on the semen specimen obtained during autopsy from the victims. 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 Parañaque courts. The NBI informed the Court on April 27, 2010 that the semen specimen/vaginal smears and all original documents including autopsy and laboratory reports, and photographs are no longer in the custody of the NBI as these were submitted as evidence to the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 274.
Hubert Webb's Family Filed Motion for Acquittal (Justice for Hubert Webb)
Last October 28, 2010, Hubert Webb's Family filed an urgent motion for acquittal because NBI loosing a majory physical, that would have proved Hubert Webb's innocent. “We are going to ask the Supreme Court to finally decide on that case but considering our position that because of the denial of due process, resulting from the state losing the evidence, it should result to the acquittal of Mr. Hubert Webb,” according to Atty. Demi Custodio as noted in an interview from a TV network.
Due Process Denied
I understand what happened to Mr. Vizconde's Family was devastating. But after doing some research and seeing Che Che Lazaro's documentary I was bit surprised. Before, I view Hubert Webb as a drug addict, killer and should be sentence to jail even though I don't know who he really is. Based on my research a lot of evidences were disregarded in which will actually proves the Hubert Webb is INNOCENT! I guess if there's no media and movies that sensationalized the case I would look at it differently. I believe in "due process", a person is not guilty until proven guilty.
But I think Mr. Lauro Vizconde should not be happy about this. Not because Hubert will be acquitted, but because the real killer is still on the loose. Well.... this is my own opinion, this is what I've seen on the other side of the story of Hubert Webb. This is me who's talking, tell me what you thinks guys?
Related Links and Reads:
Preparing to Meet and Interview Hubert Webb
NBI insists: We don't have Vizconde specimen
