Scarier Than Any Horror Movie: Two Trials of the 20th Century in the Philippines, Still Case Unsolved

iStock

Happy Halloween, right? I would like to write something scary. I've written some blog entries under the label "crime". My two favorite topics are the Vizconde Massacre Case, which was followed by the Chiong Sisters Case. It's amazing that one of the siblings of Marijoy Jimenea Chiong and Jacqueline Jimenea Chiong, was actually my schoolmate at the University of San Carlos. Some people knew this Chiong sibling as Debbie Jane Chiong-Sia, who by the way, isn't Jacqueline. Jacqueline would be in her 50s would she have lived. I didn't care anymore about the case until someone told me, "Do you remember Paco Larrañaga? He was innocent!" It scared me straight. The question was given to me after someone also mentioned Hubert Jeffry P. Webb as innocent regarding the Vizconde Massacre case. I believed that both Paco and Jeffry were guilty. The scary truth was that they were innocent of the crimes. I got interested in digging into the crimes. 

Back in the 1990s, I was in elementary when both crimes happened. The only one that made a bigger impact on me was the Chiong Sisters case. As a Chinese Cebuano, I should really be terrified. It happened in my hometown. One of my classmates used the Chiong Case as part of her study on kidnapping. The first two suspects namely Francisco Juan G. Larrañaga and Josman Aznar. It was scary to think that when I was in my second year of high school--the Vizconde Case was brought back. I said, "Good! I hope they all rot in jail!" It was also in 1999 when Judge Martin Ocampo committed suicide (read here). I lived much of my life believing in the lies. That's until I was told that Hubert and Paco were innocent. What freaks me out is that one of my friends (won't mention her name) was actually with Paco in Quezon City when the crime happened (read here).

It felt believable at first when Hubert et al and Paco et al were arrested. I heard that Hubert and Paco were bad boys. Some of the co-accused of the Vizconde Massacre were actually friends with Jessica Alfaro (read here). I heard stories that Paco and Josman were considered "bugoy" or bad boys. If I'm not wrong, both James Anthony Uy and James Andrew Uy (I think they were only half-Chinese) were also bad boys and had a fight at Ayala Mall. I haven't heard much about Rowen Adlawan or the driver-conductor tandem, Alberto Caño and Ariel Balansag. How did Rowen, Alberto, and Ariel even get suspected? Some people say that Alberto and Ariel only knew each other. Meanwhile, Hubert also had other co-accused who were from affluent families. If I'm not wrong, those co-accused of Hubert were also spoiled brats.

After watching Give Up Tomorrow (read review here)--I decided to watch a documentary on the Vizconde Massacre (read here). It gets scarier than a horror movie when one realizes things in common with these cases:

1. It's okay to get anybody punished, as long as the person has a bad reputation. Never mind the evidence. Why wait to get the real suspects when petty crooks can be accused of what they never committed? Paco was in Manila and Hubert was in America. True, they have a bad reputation but bad reputation doesn't always equal guilt! Where's the right to remain silent or the right to be assumed innocent until proven guilty? 
2. Blind allegiance or faith in the Philippine justice system is shown. After watching Jacqueline Comes Home (read my review here)--one scene has a law student saying that the justice system would never condemn an innocent person. Please, they need to read more history and realize that some people have been wrongfully convicted like George Stinney Jr.
3. Two judges were biased. Retired judge Atty. Amelita G. Tolentino refused to have the semen sample found in the late Carmela Vizconde's body examined. Ocampo refused to have the body found in Carcar examined if it was Marijoy. In Case Unclosed, even Thelma Jimenea-Chiong admitted she didn't immediately recognize the body. Yes, I believe the body is Marijoy's but DNA testing and further examination would've proven Paco wasn't the killer!
4. Both cases would have had other people involved. Where are the real perpetrators then? Shouldn't it be a scary thought that because several petty crooks got wrongfully accused bigger crooks are remaining free? What happened to criminal rights then? Criminals have the right not to be punished beyond their offense!
5. Even worse, both cases were sensationalized by VIVA Films. VIVA films created two movies based on the Vizconde Massacre case. Years later, the Chiong Case was given a movie and it was a problematic film. 

By looking at this, any blind allegiance or faith to the Philippine justice system, as if it's so beholden and infallible is dead wrong. That's why I even lost any trust in Hilario G. Davide Jr.--who may no longer be practicing law due to his advanced age (read here). Davide was also involved in the Chiong Case and he was related by marriage to the Jimenea side of the victims. Was it because Davide was in-laws with the Jimeneas that the DNA test was denied? Davide even wants people to believe that the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines is "the best constitution of the world". My late paternal grandmother and my late high school English teacher were right to say, "Not all old people have wisdom." Those who keep quoting Davide need to realize how botched the Chiong Case was. Two sisters went missing (and I believe both are dead) and the real murderes may be enjoying life somewhere in the Philippines. Until now, Davidson Rusia, the "star witness" couldn't be traced or that I heard some of the false witnesses, are living abroad.

Don't say that it can never happen to you. I've experienced being falsely accused in school. Fortunately, those were just petty false accusations. However, this is a much bigger case. How can we really sleep well knowing that the wrong people are convicted. Just because someone is convicted doesn't mean the case is solved. It means a false sense of security would always be there for the loved ones of the victims. A false security is even deadlier because it's like drinking a delicious poison without knowing it's poison. It's like taking narcotics to make one feel high. All the while, people given this false sense of security might be the next to be falsely accused!