Supreme Court acquits Webb, et al

[Xilcher]

webb et al were acquitted not because they were INNOCENT! they were set free because of a technicality in the handling of the evidence. they are in fact guilty based of those evidences. technicality matters.

SAYUP


dili technicality on handling evidence..na wala sila ma duot ug proven maayu na guilty

but.. the other way around...

Wala sila tagda sa una.. tanan evidences na mag prove na innocent si Webb gi snob.

hope di ka ma confused ana!..


DNA sample.. nawala o giwala sa NBI?

Gary V.. na diyosnun mamakak?
..

pero kana tanan wala tagda sa korte... bias kaayo ang korte sa NBI sa una...

[Gac]

sos paita 20 ka toig paabot sa iya papa unya ma in-ana lang.... KASAKIT ANI OY...

[masakiton]

sos paita 20 ka toig paabot sa iya papa unya ma in-ana lang.... KASAKIT ANI OY...

mao jud
atleast ang SC gi basehan ila decision sa facts nga gi present .. dili personal emotion

[r3roble]

prosecution should have done it right the first time...

if indeed sila jud, unsa kaha nga case nga dili naman sila makiha ug balik ani?

[sharkey360]

Justice argued against revisiting Vizconde case facts

AT LEAST one associate justice of the Supreme Court argued against revisiting established facts and discussing again whether or not Jessica Alfaro was a credible witness in the Vizconde massacre case.

It’s a fundamental rule, said Justice Martin Villarama, to “accord respect to the lower court” when “no glaring errors, gross misapprehensions of fact and arbitrary and unsupported conclusions are gathered by its findings.”

“When the trial court’s findings have been affirmed by the appellate court, said findings are generally conclusive and binding upon this Court,” he wrote in his dissenting opinion.

In resolving that the conviction of Hubert Webb and his co-respondents should have been upheld given the “weakness” of Webb’s alibi, Justice Villarama cited the High Court’s ruling in the Cebu City case of People vs. Larrañaga.

Webb’s defense had centered on how he was in the United States from March 9, 1991 to Oct. 26, 1992. He said he couldn’t have committed the crime that transpired between June 29 and June 30, 1991.

“This Court in People v. Larrañaga had similarly rejected the defense of alibi of an accused, involving a shorter travel distance (Quezon City to Cebu) and even shorter period of time showing the least possibility of an accused’s presence at the time of the commission of the crime (a matter of hours) than in the case at bar,” Villarama wrote.

In the case against Webb, Villarama said, 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 to fourteen hours.”

Voting 7-4-4, the High Court Tuesday reversed the conviction of seven of the nine accused in the June 1991 Vizconde massacre.

It ordered the release of Webb, son of former senator Freddie Webb, and six others.

The respondents—Webb, Antonio Lejano, Michael Gatchalian, Hospicio Fernandez, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada and Gerardo Biong—had been in jail for a total of 15 years and three months prior to being released yesterday in compliance with the SC ruling.

The ruling, penned by Associate Justice Roberto Abad, cited inconsistencies in Alfaro’s testimony and that of the corroborating witnesses, as well as on the defense’s alibi that Webb was in the United States when the crime happened.

“Reexamining the testimony of Alfaro, who underwent exhaustive and intense cross-examination by eight defense lawyers, it is to be noted that she revealed such details and observations which only a person who was actually with the perpetrators could have known,” Justice Villarama said.

“It is axiomatic that a witness who testifies in a categorical, straightforward, spontaneous and frank manner and remains consistent on cross-examination is a credible witness,” he added in his dissenting opinion.

Justice argued against revisiting Vizconde case facts | Sun.Star Network Online

[lestat1116]

kita mo sa lihok ni webb? kato ni kaon cya with his family and how he talk. mura cya og addict or withdrawal.

[sharkey360]

Be mindful as to how certain members of broadcast media analyze the case

The disgusting ANC Vizconde case feeding frenzy

Your Chair Wrecker was utterly appalled to watch the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) go on a feeding frenzy the moment the Supreme Court announced last Tuesday the acquittal of Hubert Webb et al, better known as the convicted Vizconde Massacre prisoners. The ANC feeding frenzy simply exceeded the usual feeding frenzy that we expect media all over the world to engage in.

What is totally unacceptable was the treatment that ANC anchors, especially Twink Macaraig, gave the prisoner release processing live coverage at the Muntinlupa Penitentiary. Macaraig was talking like she had a sure grip of all the legal ramifications of the 7-4 Supreme Court decision and was recklessly speculating about charges for the Vizconde case star witness Jessica Alfaro and others who may have ‘connived’ to convict Hubert Webb et al.

The Supreme Court Vizconde case decision isn’t without controversy. There are legal minds who felt that the Supreme Court should not have delved on the appreciation of evidence and testimony and should have confined its review instead to judging the legal procedures. Seven Supreme Court Associate Justices cannot presume to appreciate evidence and testimony better than the presiding judge who was physically present to observe the witnesses and the evidences. That former Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino’s decision was sustained by the Court of Appeals would indicate that proper procedures were followed.

It is not for a network anchor like Macaraig to speak as if she knows if Hubert Webb et al were totally innocent or that Jessica Alfaro et al were all ‘evil conspirators’ who allegedly ‘connived’ to make Hubert Webb et al spend 15 miserable years of their lives in prison while suffering the anguish of public condemnation. The Supreme Court acquittal merely stated that the evidences and testimonies failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of Hubert Webb et al.

That the evidences and testimonies failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of Hubert Webb et al, could mean that Hubert Webb et al may really be the criminals except that the evidences and testimonies were insufficient to convict them. That the evidences and testimonies failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of Hubert Webb et al, does not also mean that Jessica Alfaro et al willfully perjured with malice in mind. It could simply mean that there was a need for more corroboration.

Hubert Webb et al can no longer be made to account for the Vizconde Massacre. However, it has yet to be established as legal fact if Jessica Alfaro et al are accountable for perjury and until such time - Macaraig et al are out of bounds to suggest that they should be made to account.

What made the ANC feeding frenzy more repulsive is public knowledge that Pinky Webb, Hubert’s sister, happens to be one of the anchors of the network. If ABS-CBN is professional enough to state their sister company relationships with Meralco and Maynilad during controversies — Macaraig et al should also state that Pinky Webb is their colleague when they begin sounding the way they did. This is not to say that Pinky Webb had anything to do with the prejudicial statements of Twink Macaraig et al. This is merely to point out the impropriety of the statements of Macaraig et al.

It’s not our intention to comment on the merits of the Supreme Court decision. To begin with, Freddie Webb, Hubert’s father, is an old friend and I do not even know Lauro Vizconde. I am very happy for Freddie and his family and my heart goes out to Lauro Vizconde whose deep anguish was very evident on television.

Both Freddie Webb and Lauro Vizconde could have been victims of injustice. For sure, they were preyed upon by media feeding frenzy. Educated people will make themselves scarce whenever there is an embarrassing demonstration of uncontrolled emotion — like the reaction of Lauro Vizconde when the Supreme Court verdict was announced. Somehow, when some folks have a camera or a microphone like media people — they discard good manners and right conduct.

What should bother us is this tendency of some media practitioners to make the news instead of to simply cover it. Freddie Webb denied even thinking of a counter suit against those who testified against his son but here we have an ANC anchor already projecting that eventuality. Macaraig did not just project these possible counter suits — she sounded like she was drumbeating for it! She and Tony Velasquez were already calculating the State compensation for illegal imprisonment. It was an editorial that they did — not news coverage — and it’s simply unacceptable.

When he was still President Cory Aquino’s Legal Counsel, now retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna shared with me an insight on how media badly affect the justice system. Adolf explained that falsely premised media reports condition the public mind to expect a wrong decision. A correct decision fails to be appreciated by the time this is announced because media had already conditioned the public mind against it.

In their anguish, the camp of Lauro Vizconde charged that the Supreme Court decision was the result of an elaborate power play and public relations plan. That ANC coverage last Tuesday reinforced that perception.

The disgusting ANC Vizconde case feeding frenzy - AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo | The Philippine Star >> News >> Opinion

[anjerika]

wala d i sila mo gamit og lie detector?

wa paman tingali lie detector 15 years ago pag hearing sa kaso. if there was, it could have not been accurate. pero lol nganong karon paman ni butyag ang SC nga inconsistent ang mga sulti ni Alfaro? it really took them 15 years to notice noh, nag nganga si Mr. Vizconde og halos malata sa prisohan silang Webb. pero wa tay mahimo kay sila may nasayod unsaon ang pamaagi ani.

[Gac]

mao jud
atleast ang SC gi basehan ila decision sa facts nga gi present .. dili personal emotion

in some point of view vesconde has no power over the court.

why?

wala silay kapit intawn so alkanse sila sa pikas kay senador gudto iya papa diba...

[masakiton]

in some point of view vesconde has no power over the court.
why?
wala silay kapit intawn so alkanse sila sa pikas kay senador gudto iya papa diba...

kung ingon ana ka powerful sir ngano na priso man ug almost 2 decades?
atleast ang supreme court ila gi basehan ang facts nga gi pang present sa both sides
ang decision kai based on facts dili personal feelings