"Give Up Tomorrow" Deleted Scene: An Illiterate Woman's Plight

This deleted scene involves a woman with lower learning as the woman called herself. Fortunately, there are English subtitles for those who can't understand the Cebuano dialect. For some reason, this scene never made it into the final cut. Yet, this scene provided valid evidence that something was very fishy about Davidson Rusia's story.

Back then, I remembered the Chiong Sisters' case was dramatized on national television. Yes, it was done during the trial. That's why it shocked me when I learned that Juan Francisco G. Larrañaga aka Paco was innocent of the crime. I was shocked when I learned that a friend of mine was also with Paco in Manila on July 16, 1997. It was the night when the crime happened. His brother-in-law, Miguel Syjuco, was pretty confident because Paco was in school.

A woman was made to sign an affidavit by the police? Okay, I still believe that the body was really that of Marijoy Jimenea Chiong. Even if it were Marijoy, the fact that this woman has said police at that time falsified her statement. I was shocked to hear this one. The woman was made to sign an affidavit that she didn't understand. This makes me agree with Leo Lastimosa's statement that why wasn't the whole case looked at from another angle. Remember that the Chiong sisters disappeared when the late Dionisio Chiong was supposed to testify against a certain someone. Why wasn't this certain someone investigated from that angle? Instead, the police caught eight people, including Davidson. Davidson was tortured into telling lies.

Let's try to connect the dots of this woman's story. A certain Ricardo on YouTube was kind enough to give this translation to copy and paste:

I just told them the truth because I just gave birth that time about 2 months. I said I heard something but it DIDN’T make me WONDER because it was a Wednesday night, right? There really are a lot (of cars) which will pass and stop by, and on Thursdays that’s really already a market. There are a lot (of people/vendors) that will stop there; the cows, the carabaos. Yes, that’s what I thought it was. I didn’t tell them this and that (she’s referring to the twisted version of her original story by the police and media). I really didn’t.

A normal every day working woman's life gets turned topsy-turvy. Just thinking about the many cars means how anybody could easily spot the alleged white van in Davidson's story. I remembered the dramatization in The Calvento Files had Marijoy tossed off the cliff while she was alive. Yet, this woman saw nothing. I have a feeling that the body of who I believe is Marijoy wasn't thrown from the cliff while alive but may have already been dead when it happened. If there was really some loud partying as Davidson said (such as the alleged account that the late Jacqueline Jimenea Chiong was forced to dance)--the woman never heard it.

It was also interesting that in the narrative, a certain Mario Miñoza, was a witness but apparently never saw the faces of the people who harassed Jacqueline:

...Meanwhile, Mario Miñoza,[35] a tricycle driver plying the route of Carcar-Mantalongon, saw Jacqueline running towards Mantalongon. Her blouse was torn and her hair was disheveled. Trailing her was a white van where a very loud rock music could be heard. Manuel Camingao[36] recounted that on July 17, 1997, at about 5:00 o'clock in the morning, he saw a white van near a cliff at Tan-awan. Thinking that the passenger of the white van was throwing garbage at the cliff, he wrote its plate number (GGC-491) on the side of his tricycle.[37]

Take note that I'm taking bits and pieces of the court that the Supreme Court failed to re-examine. It supposedly "perfectly fit" with Davidson's story. However, what amazes me is how in the world could that easily fit in? Both Mario and Manuel only saw the white van. I don't think both of them saw who the real passengers were. I was wondering was the plate number of the white van really matched up with Davidson's story? All that Davidson could "agree with the witnesses in Ayala was that they saw Paco in Ayala. However, previous investigations had it that Sheila Singson, a co-worker of Jacqueline, initially never identified anybody.

As the woman says, she really saw nothing during that time. So, it was Wednesday then it was Thursday. As for the white van, it seems that the body thrown at the ravine was no longer alive which would further cloud Davidson's story. Apparently, several people were bought to lie by some unknown party. I have a feeling that people were forced to lie. I feel that while Rowne may have been buying barbecue at that time--was that substantial evidence to link him to that white van?

This also has a curious case of the white van with plate number GGC-491. There were also some conflicting stories. This reminds me of how Paco's story had some inconsistencies when he was asked to remember by memory. Paco was just wrongfully arrested and the stress can be so great. I guess the same thing happened to those who testified for Ariel Balansag and Alberto Caño. Apparently, this certain Clotilde Soterol had to rely on her own memory too. Since Clotilde would have to recall based on her memory some time ago, there's really room for error. It's pretty much like how Paco couldn't have a perfect match because he was wrongfully arrested, had no access to records, etc.

This reminds me of what Atty. Florencio O. Villarin stated in the documentary. Villarin did interview Sheila Singson who supposedly never identified Paco only to make a U-turn in court. The documentary revealed that there was reward money for the witnesses. Apparently, the witnesses of the white van used in the crime may have been either bribed or forced to write a different plate number. Maybe, the plate number was really something else. Maybe, this certain Manuel only saw the white van but never saw the body. I believe that these people did see something but never pointed out to the facts looked for.

I wonder if the reward money made these witnesses testify to say they saw this. My speculation can go like this. Sheila only saw a suspicious figure but never formally identified it. Maybe, that cartographic sketch produced at the NBI would never match Paco's face. Maybe, all that Mario and Manuel saw were two different white vans. It's possible that the van GGC-491 was really doing some illegal dumping but not the body of a woman. Speaking of the 5 a.m. claim, Paco was also in Manila at that time. It would be impossible also for Paco to simply take a flight after dumping Marijoy's body into the ravine.

One must wonder what really happened. It should make you ask, "What if I could be next?" Even nobodies can be victims in a very broken justice system.

Updated: July 16, 2023

[OPINION] Why Do Some Filipino Boomers (Some Are EVEN Fact-Checkers) Insist that the Marcos Years Were Under a "Parliamentary System"

This is a screenshot I got on Facebook. The Tweet is courtesy of Raissa Espinosa-Robles, who I hear is a marites or a gossiper. I'm not denying that there are some truths in what she said. It's true that the Marcos Years have their well-documented human rights abuses. However, Mrs. Robles still continues to insist in the myth of a parliamentary system under Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.'s regime. It's not just Mrs. Robles but also some Filipino boomers who keep saying, "Are you crazy? We had a parliamentary system under Marcos." I could show them some evidence like Marcos' severe lack of legitimacy to disprove the parliamentary systme. I even wrote about the snap elections because Marcos was a president with powers (read here ). Under a parliamentary system, the president is purely ceremonial. The president is just a door opener and credentials receiver! Benigno Simeon A. Aquino Jr. and Salvador "Doy" Laurel both challenged the legitimacy of Marcos...

The 1986 Snap Elections Would Also Disprove the Myth of the "Marcos Parliament"

Anti-charter change proponents love to use Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. among their reasons, to defend their stand. The argument is that "charter change must be evil" because Marcos used it--a fallacy of Guilt by Association . Please, even Atty. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo's supporter Andrew James Masigan supports charter change! Now, we must look at Marcos and remember another significant event. It's the 1986 snap elections and why it's also proof that we never had a parliamentary form of government. February 7, 1986, was when Marcos declared snap elections. Two years before the snap election, Marcos even declared that the Philippines was never a parliamentary government under him : The adoption of certain aspects of a parliamentary system in the amended Constitution does not alter its essentially presidential character . Article VII on the Presidency starts with this provision: ‘the President shall be the Head of State and Chief Executive of the Republic of the Ph...

The Late Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino's Chinese New Year Proclamation

It's disheartening that the Facebook page Tuloy Lang Tayo (which fortunately only has 358 followers) said that Chinese New Year should be discredited. The page is also supportive of Atty. Maria Leonor "Leni" S. Gerona-Robredo. Does the owner of the page even know that the late Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino was the person who declared Chinese New Year, a holiday? The Asia Society gives this detail on Noynoy's declaration: It was the very first time that the Chinese New Year was celebrated in the Philippines as a special non-working holiday which gave the opportunity to both Chinese-Filipinos and Filipinos in the country to enjoy the celebration. This became possible because of the Proclamation declared by President Benigno S. Aquino III , stating that this "is a manifestation of our solidarity with our Chinese-Filipino brethren who have been part of our lives in many respects as a country and as a people." Further details from Asia Society als...

Real Talk: Chinese Filipinos ARE Still Filipinos

It's the Chinese New Year once again. Some ignorant people have their ill feelings towards Chinese Filipinos, never mind the long history of Chinese immigrants who have become Filipinos. A simple classroom history lesson to a Google search, will tell us what it meant to be a Filipino. What does it mean to be a Filipino? It's often said that Filipino is more of a nationality than a race. Here's the definition of what it means to be a Filipino: 1 : a native of the Philippine Islands 2 : a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines 3 : the Tagalog-based official language of the Republic of the Philippines Filipino adjective According to the current constitution, these define what makes one a Filipino: Section 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines: [1] Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution; [2] Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines; [3] Those born before January 17, 1973, of Fili...

The "Star Witness" Davidson Rusia

It's Time to Free Paco Now Comparing one's perspective when one was in high school vs. the present can be a daunting thing. For example, I could get told that, "Maybe the person wants to be friends with you already. Maybe he realized that you were only teenagers and your fight was nothing more than a childish quarrel." As a 13-year-old who got into the case--I once admired what Davidson Rusia did. However, after hearing that Paco Larrañaga was innocent--I was really shocked. Yes, Paco was really in Manila when the crime happened (read here ). Why was David even allowed to testify when he wasn't even qualified? That's what the documentary Give Up Tomorrow highlighted. Atty. Florencio Villarin, who may be retired now due to his advanced age, also stated that in Case Unclosed. A lot of people were interested in what he had to say. At first, I thought Paco was wrongly tagged along with guilty people. However, what Solita Collas-Monsod said in Give Up Tomorrow , ...

Learn the Facts, Not Gossip, from Reading Lee Kuan Yew's "From Third World to First"

The Straits Times I could remember ordering the book From Third World to First ( sometime after electricity and Internet connection got restored) in January. I wanted a copy of the book but it's that hard to secure. So, I used Shoppee to order the book shipped from Indonesia . There's so much misinformation that I read on Facebook about Singapore. No, I'm not just talking about using the late Flor Contemplacion as an excuse. Instead, it's all about Singapore's development. I felt that my best "Christmas Gift" (it was bought with my savings, not given) was having a copy of this book. It was written by none other than the great statesman, the late Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. There are a lot of misconceptions about Singapore's progress. Some people have written on Facebook gossip about Singapore's progress. These are the following gossips I could read on Facebook such as: Singapore only opened to foreign di...

Indigenous Dance in Dayuan District, Taiwan

In the quest to know more about Southeast Asia's indigenous people--Taiwan can become a hit destination. This would look like a group of Filipino indigenous dancers but they're from Taiwan. This long dance number may show how the Taiwanese government may have been treating indigenous tribes better than the Philippines. One article I wrote was about how some Filipino natives now have to travel to Taiwan to learn indigenous weaving . Just watching this video makes me think of what the Inquirer cited about Taiwanese indigenous people: TAIPEI—In communities of the indigenous Amis tribe across Taiwan, locals say lima for five, pito for seven and mata for eye, just like Filipinos . In southern Taiwan’s Alishan mountain, the Tsou tribe calls the community’s meeting hut a kuba, strikingly similar in design to the Philippines’ kubo . Whether in language, architecture or way of life, links among indigenous peoples of the Philippines and Taiwan are undeniable, with...

Why I Think Banning the Mention of Hitler on Facebook is STUPID

Getty Images It's crazy how reporting a comment with the word "Hitler" can get anyone banned. For example, this is what I found on Quora : They should be allowed. there are quotes of his that are not in praise of hitler but showing how he thought so that people are critical of their current leaders . For example, here’s a quote by him “ How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.” This is a perfect example of why Hitler quotes should be allowed; to show how dictators think and how people should be critical. Yes, he started a giant war and murdered people but censoring what he said will only help the next dictator start more wars and murder more people because people forgot about Hitler . This is why the First Amendment is so important: it’s about communication and freedom so that we all make better decisions in the future. I just told someone that Adolf Hitler seized the means of production and I got a strike. Like what? I wonder what ...

The Paternity of Sergio Osmeña Sr.

More than 10 years ago while I was a college student, I remembered one of the topics raised was who in the world was the father of the late Sergio Osmeña Sr.? I remembered my Humanities subject while I studied at the University of San Carlos (USC) during my summer classes. I immediately took summer classes after I finished my associate's degree and proceeded to take my bachelor's degree in business administration. We had a field trip at Casa Gorordo in Cebu where one of the curators said, "Just who was his father?" There was a wild guess it was the late Pedro Lee Singson Gotiaoco. The Freeman I heard from someone, back in college, that neither Tomas Osmeña nor the late John Gokongwei Jr. admits to being related to each other. Gokongwei Jr. is a great-grandson of Gotiaoco. A Sunstar article about Juana Osmeña mentions this one about the past 145 years ago which may verify their mutual claims: SCIENCE has settled almost a century-and-a-half-old mystery -- history and g...

The Chiong Sisters' "Still Alive" Conspiracy Theory Was Around Last 2005?

No, the girls below are not the same people above. Granted, I never saw Give Up Tomorrow nor realize that Juan Francisco G. Larrañaga aka Paco was innocent until 2018. I was shocked to realize, from a friend, that he was with Paco on the night of the crime. From the New Scientist website, it talks about how innocents die without DNA tests . Hubert Jeffry P. Webb's life was wasted because of one foolish judge's decision not to grant a DNA test of the semen sample found in the late Carmela Vizconde's body. Here's a very interesting excerpt that points out the conspiracy theory that either one (or both) of the Chiong sisters may still be alive: Conspiracy theories surround the case. A policeman who worked on the case said last week he thought Larrañaga was innocent. Only one body was found, which was identified as Marijoy’s, but there are serious doubts about whether it is in fact her – even from the original trial judge . What’s more, there are rumours that one or both s...

A Business Graduate's Random Blog on History and Gossip

Search This Blog