Monday, December 13, 2010

Now get the Vizconde killers

The accused in the Vizconde massacre case have been acquitted by the Supreme Court. Seven justices voted in favor of their acquittal. Four dissented and four others abstained.  The most important element - guilt beyond reasonable doubt - had not been proven. In fact, the SC found a number of reasons that led to their acquittal.
I was the Manila reporter of  Money Asia when investigations on the Vizconde massacre began at the NBI. I have to admit that I was initially swayed to believe they were guilty as we were presented with a star witness and corroborating witnesses.
There is just one story that I wrote on the case that somehow gave me a serious doubt on the guilt of the accused:  government's refusal to the DNA test, a challenge made by Hubert Webb's camp. Why would the prime suspect, Webb, take a big risk in submitting himself to the DNA testing? And why government, if it was certain that Webb is indeed guilty, refused such an offer. They could have nailed him down if he was guilty.
Years passed and I transferred as the justice reporter for the Manila Standard, covering the DOJ, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The DNA challenge was brought to the courts, with government insistent on its refusal to the DNA testing, Later on, the government said the DNA sample can no longer be used. 
Another angle was the testimony of US officials certifying that Webb was in America when the crime occurred. Knowing their tediousness in record-keeping, the government  should have given this weight. Instead they insisted on their insinuation that the suspects' parents are influential enough to force US officials to tamper with their records.
After this decision, the Aquino administration must answer these questions and address these concerns:
* Where are the real assailants of the Vizcondes? Lauro deserves justice.
*  Where is star witness Jessica Alfaro? She should tell the real story. She should also be given protection NOW.
* Where are the corroborating witnesses, such as the maid who claimed to have seen Webb, the day after the crime? She should also be given protection against people who may have coerced her to tell this big  lie.
*  Will it compensate the suspects for the years they wrongly spent in jail?
We should revisit the case, not for the purposes of seeking a reversal of the decision. Acquittals cannot be appealed. It is the suspects' right against double jeopardy.
We should do this to see who really killed the Vizcondes.

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