Skip to main content

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, if the body wasn't the girl then that puts David into further question. Since I was only in high school and studies were the priority (and I must admit, the Philippine education system is terrible), that also didn't help me understand the case. It was discussed in school. Most people believed that Paco was guilty and that David "did the right thing". However, what Give Up Tomorrow revealed was that David was actually tortured. Get mad at David all you want--he was also a victim in this case! 


This deleted scene from Give Up Tomorrow (which I believe should've been included in the final cut) shows the problem of David's testimony. It was said to belong to the Aznars but it turned out that a certain Dogan Gurkan owned the place, where the rape supposedly happened. Gurkan gave his condolences to the Chiongs while mentioning something was wrong. Gurkan's timeless statement is that he knows David is lying. "Even DNA..." are timeless statements. DNA testing could've proven if the body belonged to Marijoy. Even if the body belonged to Marijoy, further DNA testing will still prove Paco wasn't the one who did the despicable crime. As Gurkan said, "If I wanted to save my life, like Tagalog, I would tell a lie." 

A diagram found on Facebook, apparently owned by
the late Miguel "Juan" Del Gallego y Ripoll

This also brings into question. David was only arrested 10 months later after the initial arrest of the suspects. Paco was arrested on September 15, 1997, and he was in Manila on July 16, 1997. Josman Aznar was arrested for a completely different offense--something that should've allowed him freedom after that. It's often said that Paco and Josman were suitors to the sisters. However, Paco denied knowing Marijoy. However, nothing denies nor confirms that Josman was a suitor to Jacqueline or not. At least only two of the suspects were friends of David--the Uy brothers. I heard the Uy brothers were troublemakers but never went out with Paco or Josman. Rowen Adlawan met the first two suspects but barely knew them. Rowen testified in Case Unclosed that David was tortured into telling a lie (read here). David was a friend of the Uy brothers (which may explain why the Uy brothers were easy to frame). However, neither Paco nor Josman knew David! David talked like he knew them. However, watching Give Up Tomorrow shows David to be rather frightened more than anything, while he was taking the witness stand. 

Phil Life

What I want to note is the oddness of the behavior of Mrs. Thelma Jimenea-Chiong. Sure, let's say that David was repentant of what he did. This is what Mrs. Mimi Larrañaga-Syjuco calls a very odd move. I thought that if someone came forward and admitted to murdering a loved one, would I give that person a birthday cake in jail or a gift? Mimi's answer was certainly not. Mimi expressed her sympathies for the Chiong mother. An article from Phil Life actually talks this about Davidson:
The Chiong Sister case has a strange turn of events 
Rusia had accurately testified of where the body had been dumped, how the sisters had been restrained, and where the pair were abducted from. He also went as far as admitting he had joined in with the rape of the sisters, but did not take a part in the murder.

Despite his sickening recount of the events of that evening, the public still saw Rusia as a hero. He was even granted freedom while the rest of the six remained imprisoned.

Mrs. Chiong went as far as bringing gifts to Rusia after the testimony. Which seemed like a highly unusual gesture to some, as he had just admitted to being a part of the abduction, rape, and murder of her daughters.

Despite the unusual behaviour surrounding the case, many in the public maintained a positive view towards Rusia. Though, this was likely linked to many irrelevant factors. Rusia had lived in the United States, so he was very articulate, with a strong command of the English language. Many also found him attractive, which also began to sway public opinion.

Why did he come forward? Was it because the police offered him immunity, which allowed him to openly tell the story? Or was Rusia forced into his testimony due to some form of manipulation?

Many supporters of the convicted continued to point to inconsistencies in Rusia’s testimony. While Paco and Josman continued to maintain that they did not know Rusia prior to their conviction. It had come out that Rusia had a prior criminal conviction which should have eliminated him from being a witness in the case, but his testimony was upheld.

Rusia also admitted having been tortured by the police. Other detainees within the prison said they had witnessed his torture. But this still changed very little, as there were other witnesses who made statements backing parts of Rusia’s original testimony.

It was later revealed that all the witnesses used by the prosecution had been paid, which raises some very big question about the validity of the entire case.

Now, let's say drugs and alcohol were used during the incident. How can David even perfectly recall the incident? From the American Addiction Center--I'd like to share this tidbit which can further put David's forced testimony into question:
In simplest terms, the brain comprises a network of neurons to process and transmit information. Drugs and alcohol can interfere with the way these brain cells function, altering the way they send, receive, and process signals.

Alcohol and/or drug use—including heavy and chronic use as well as processes involved in overdose and withdrawal—can impact a host of neurological and behavioral conditions. For example, substance use can alter feelings, perceptions, thought processes, and behavior. It can also lead to various conditions involving the central nervous system, including everything from headaches and stroke to seizures and cognitive disorders.  Plus, over time, substance use can even change the brain in ways that contribute to addiction development and make it more challenging to maintain abstinence.
Reading it, can David even remember exactly what happened when drugs and alcohol were used during the alleged rape party? Watching both Jacqueline Comes Home and Butakal gave a clearer idea of what could've happened. Take note that Butakal was just a work of fiction. If Paco and his gang took drugs during the time they did the supposed crime--can David even recall everything perfectly in detail? I don't need to be a neurologist to question it. I may need a neurologist to help explain things. However, I don't need to be one to know that using a combination of drugs and alcohol can affect memory. 

Paco was forced to rely on his own memory--which explains why there was a slight discrepancy between him and the teacher. The teacher had the records that Paco was in school on July 16, 1997. Why did the late Judge Martin Ocampo choose to believe in David? Even worse, Judge Ocampo fell asleep during the trials. It's not a good idea for a teacher or a student to fall asleep in class. How much more if the person is a judge? The higher the position, the higher the responsibility, and the higher the liability. It's like if a teacher sleeps in class--he or she may consider higher punishment than a student sleeping in class. 

As Jourdan Sebastian (who was also with Paco at that time) publicly wrote on Facebook:
Now let’s go to the star witness’ testimony... which as Ms. Lagcao stated, perfectly fitted the evidence provided by the police and prosecution. Here are the facts: 
1. If my memory serves me right... the star witness had a criminal record and was actually in prison for a different offense when he suddenly became a state witness. 

2. He was held by the same authorities who had access to the evidence that was going to be used in court.

3. He perfectly corroborated all the evidences.

4. He was powerfully detailed even if the incidents he was narrating happened more than a year after.

5. He had perfect recollection of what happened even if drugs and alcohol were being used heavily at the time of the crime.

Yet there was a perfect testimony by an imperfect witness... who was granted freedom soon after. 

The testimony of this man was allowed... but 40 people who were all upstanding citizens with zero criminal records, armed with pictures and official documents.... were not allowed to testify? 
When I ran into that certain Atty. Naunsa Ba Ni. As always, I will not leak Atty. Naunsa Ba Ni's Facebook profile. Instead, I'll continue to protect her privacy. However, I still hope that she won't become a judge at any level. Atty. Naunsa Ba Ni might end up doing what Judge Ocampo or retired judge Atty. Amelita G. Tolentino did this during the trials. Amounts of evidence were rejected without being scrutinized. The judge accused the witnesses of bias, while he was biased himself. Why can't everyone be allowed to talk? Even more, suspects have the right to defend themselves. Don't let it be like the late George Stinney Jr.--an African American teenager who was wrongfully accused of murdering two white girls! 

That's why both Michael Collins and Marty Syjuco wanted to find David. David would've had an interesting story to tell if he was found. Who knows what revelation would be revealed. However, the tandem said that David was still missing at that time. Some people claim they already found David who is now a family man. David may have committed perjury but he's a victim too. Hopefully, David will have his conscience to finally step forward to reveal what really happened!

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

[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...
Read more

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...
Read more

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...
Read more

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...
Read more

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...
Read more

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...
Read more

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 ...
Read more

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...
Read more

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...
Read more