Harsh Lessons from the Chiong Sisters Case, from a Nobody's Perspective

July 16, 1997, was when the Chiong sisters, Jacqueline Jimenea Chiong and Marijoy Jimenea Chiong, disappeared. I still believe the body in Carcar was actually Marijoy. Jacqueline may have been the victim of a no-body found murder case (read here). I don't believe the claims that either one or two sisters are actually hiding in Canada. The proof is still moot at best. It's safe to assume that both have died. I watched Give Up Tomorrow (read here) and fortunately, GMA-7 had featured their case in Case Unclosed (read here), all before the documentary was finished. I've seen both documentaries. However, I may prefer to look into Case Unclosed due to its more direct approach in giving the details. I'm not a lawyer and I don't think I'm fit to handle such cases. However, I've actually talked with some people who personally knew the Chiong Sisters (such as their high school classmates) or someone who personally knew their youngest sister, Debbie Jane Jimenea Chiong-Sia. Yes, Debbie was already around when Jacqueline was kidnapped.

It may already be more than a decade since the crime happened. However, rainy nights remind me of how two sisters unjustly went missing. It's time to write about painful lessons from the incident.

Wanting instant justice can have terrible consequences

Whether we want to admit it or not, their mother Thelma Jimenea-Chiong was grieving. It's only natural that a grieving mother who lost two daughters would want justice, and believe she had already gotten justice. As I rewatched Case Unclosed episode on the Chiong Sisters (which had some other details that didn't make it into the Give Up Tomorrow documentary), I was looking into how Mrs. Chiong thought she had justice. Mrs. Chiong had tears and some forced laughing (which was probably trying to mask her grief) when she mentioned how she supposedly got justice, and Spain got back the main suspect, Francisco Juan "Paco" Gonzalez Larrañaga, a scion of the Osmeña clan, via his maternal grandmother. I still feel sorry for her loss while criticizing her, at the same time. 

There's no question that Mrs. Chiong was in a lot of pain. Scenes of Mrs. Chiong looking at her PC (which is most likely destroyed by now), viewing photos of her daughters, is definitely heartbreaking. However, we need to think about the several degrees of Jimenea involved in the case (read here). Mrs. Chiong's sister, Cheryl S. Jimenea, was actually a close friend of Joseph Marcelo Ejercito aka Joseph Estrada. Estrada was vice president when the crime happened, and president when the trial commenced. Not to mention, Atty. Hilario G. Davide's wife is Virginia Jimenea Perez-Davide. That means there was some kind of connection that Mrs. Chiong had, which she used to get justice.

Impatience can happen when one's stressed. It's only a normal reaction for a mother who has two daughters who simultaneously gone ahead of her, to get that frantic. I don't blame Mrs. Chiong for crying during the screening of Jacqueline Comes Home (read review here), a movie so problematic that I don't recommend that film for academic use either, compared to the Case Unclosed episode, or the documentary, Give Up Tomorrow.  

Vandalism found in Wikipedia, screenshot

The consequences are battering up years later. The mishandling of the case spread gossip that both sisters are alive. What's so stupid is that not one, but two sisters-in-law, are mistaken to be Marijoy. Debbie, the youngest, is often mistaken to be Jacqueline. Right now, I even feel sorry for Debbie over the issue. I'm glad that I never got close to Debbie, despite me and her studying in the same university. In fact, one post on Facebook (I will not mention the name, to protect the privacy) said this:

I was 12 years old when the Chiong sisters vanished. Back then, reading newspapers was one of my favorite past times (got the habit from my grandparents).  Any case involving violence against women & children always keep me doubly interested. This particular one, I followed from newspaper reports to the tv reports. I could remember clearly that during the initial report, there was a different lead. But then a star witness appeared out of nowhere, and the arrest of the Chiong seven followed. When that happened, all hell broke loose. It became a media circus! Then I've seen it all on tv... from the presiding judge wearing sunglasses during court proceedings, to the "she's channeling Jackie" scene. The entire trial was a joke! There was no hard forensic evidence against the seven accused, other than the testimony of a convicted felon. And above all, there are evidences and witnesses refuting said claims of the star witness. I just hope that with this petition, we as the Filipino people will finally get to open our eyes and use our minds to fight for truth & justice.  And please stop sharing those posts with pictures of Debbie Chiong claiming that she is her murdered sister. She works for the same company that I used to work for. Yes, they might have some similarities (they're sisters after all). But look at their facial bone structures, particularly the chin. And of course, the age of both women comes into question (unless they found the fountain of youth).  As I said please stop sharing those posts. Why??? It undermines & discredits the work of the people fighting to free Paco & his co-accused. For all we know, the very same people behind these posts are the ones also responsible for those lies and injustice that framed and put the Chiong seven to jail. And, WE should never help them by spreading more lies! But we could help their victims by signing & sharing this petition instead!

The consequences are felt by the bereaved and the wrongfully accused. The bereaved is forced to face allegations that the daughters are supposedly hiding in Canada. The wrongfully accused are rotting in jail for a crime they never committed. It's multiple families that were affected by the mishandling of the case. I'd say that when Mrs. Chiong made her moves, she may have never considered the long-term consequences. 

Bad behavior could get you wrongfully tagged in future cases

When the suspects were arrested, there was much rejoicing. One could think of how barbaric the events are. A dead body was found in Tan-awan, Carcar. It was revealed in Case Unclosed that Mrs. Chiong didn't formally recognize the body. Mrs. Chiong revealed that her sister Cheryl insisted that the body was indeed Marijoy's, based on forensic findings. However, there were some doubts because no proper testing (which included DNA) was ever done. Right now, one might wonder who that woman was in the ravine, if ever, she wasn't Marijoy?

The Dong Puno Live interviews had both Paco and Josman Aznar, together with the Uy brothers, James Anthony and James Andrew, interviewed. Paco admitted that both he and Josman have a bad reputation. Yes, indeed, the first two suspects (and if I'm not wrong, the Uy brothers were also delinquents) were already known as the terrors of Cebu. There are arrogant rich people. Josman was actually arrested for illegal possession of firearms and drug possession (one packet of shabu). Little did Josman expect that he would be accused of a crime he never committed. The same went with Paco who had a previous failed kidnapping case, which Atty. Florencio Villarin was highlighted in the Case Unclosed episode.

The bad reputation of the majority of the suspects already shows why it was easy to believe what happened. Paco and Josman were both known to be bullies. If I'm not wrong, the Uy brothers had a fight inside some mall when they were teenagers. Davidson "David" Rusia was also a gang member and a friend of the Uy brothers. It would be believable that David would've participated in that same mess, as the others. However, it turned out David was actually tortured into telling lies.

Even random nobodies could end up in the same mess

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

It was easy to understand how Paco and Josman were suspected. They were already known to be the bad boys of Cebu. Neither of them had a good reputation. In fact, even Paco admitted he had a bad reputation during the Dong Puno live interview. However, I must wonder if there was anything significant about Rowen Adlawan, Alberto Caño, and Ariel Balansag when they were arrested? Alberto and Ariel supposedly only knew each other from the eight of them. I still have my doubts whether or not the late Miguel's diagram is free of error. I have my assumption that Alberto and Ariel probably worked for Southwestern University at some point. I could be proven wrong if ever employment records were revealed. 

I'm still left wondering why Alberto and Ariel ended up in this huge mess. As somebody said, "Even a driver and conductor aren't safe." These two weren't rich guys. Why did two menial workers get involved in the mess? Was it so a narrative could be done? Apparently, there was no criminal record of any sort for Alberto and Ariel. It was probably true for Rowen to have a criminal record (as a petty crook), since Rowen met the first two suspects, and met the Uy brothers at one point. Were Alberto and Ariel drug users or what? It gets confusing how Alberto and Ariel got arrested.

It seemed like that, "We don't care if the wrongdoer is rich or poor." However, the way things end up is, "Well, we're just going to make a believable story." One must wonder that whoever framed up the first six suspects may have been a very creative script writer!

Ignoring forensic evidence in favor of testimonial evidence bungles things up

Photo credited to Michael Collins and Marty Syjuco

It was easy for me to buy that Paco was guilty, case closed. I didn't even know Paco left for Spain, years until it happened. All I remember is that I got mad at former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for uplifting the death penalty. What I never knew at that time was that, also the Vizconde Massacre case, also caught the wrong people.

The documentary Give Up Tomorrow gave some evidence that Paco wasn't in Cebu, but in Manila, when it happened. Here are some things that still bother me, after watching the two documentaries:

• Photos of Paco in Manila with the rest of the group. If the picture facing sideways was in doubt, why not have it examined if it was a camera trick or not? I don't think Adobe Photoshop (all before it had that idiotic subscription model) was that advanced in the late 1990s!
• Why wasn't the angle that the Chiong sisters went missing when their late father, Dionisio Chiong, was supposed to testify, looked upon? Let's face it that Dionisio was supposed to testify against a certain druglord (whose name was censored in the documentary) then his daughters suddenly went missing. Why didn't they check on that angle?
• Plane ticket records from the airport showed that Paco flew to Cebu on July 17, a day after the crime happened. 
• Why did the judge dismiss DNA testing of the body found in Tan-awan, Carcar? Let's assume the body was Marijoy's. Does it hurt to make sure that it was Marijoy? Also, further testing could've already pointed out at the possible killer. I believe the body was Marijoy since no one else bothered to claim the body. 
• Why did the judge choose to glue on David's testimony, never mind the inconsistencies? Also, David should've been properly cross-examined. Even lawyers testified that David shouldn't have been allowed to testify. Also, setting David free despite his alleged involvement is a pretty dangerous decision.
• Raquel Barros-Fortun's statements on the mishandling of evidence prove that the Philippines fails to adapt to change. The Vizconde Massacre case also had retired judge Atty. Amelita G. Tolentino denied the request for a DNA test of the sperm found on the late Carmela Vizconde's body. 

The promise of promotions is definitely bad in hindsight

Watching Give Up Tomorrow showed the problem of promising promotions. Mrs. Chiong should've been instructed not to do so. It was already a terrible decision, in hindsight. Did Mrs. Chiong think she could get justice if she did? I'm afraid, but the answer is no. In fact, Give Up Tomorrow revealed a lot of bungle ups, done by those who were promoted. Were they handling the case because it was the right thing to do or was it because of a promotion? Promotion or not, people should do their jobs properly. Promotions should only be given later, not brokered. 

According to Ramon Tulfo in the Philippine Star, the Vizconde judge, Tolentino, was actually eyeing a promotion:

Hubert was a victim of circumstances: an angry, irrational public crying for blood; a biased judge, Amelita Tolentino, who was eyeing a slot at the Court of Appeals; an inefficient National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); and Jessica Alfaro, a witness who was a drug addict.

People would do anything to look good, right? That's what happened with the Chiong Case. It's turning tragedies into opportunities for self-glorification. Never mind that we've got a family that's grieving over the loss of two daughters who were still so young! Jacqueline was only 23 and Marijoy was only 21. I knew someone who was classmates with Jacqueline in high school, but I will not mention the person's name. This is a tragedy, not an opportunity for self-glorification. 

Honestly, I believe no one should ever promise positions if they can do the job. People should only be promoted if they did a job right. The whole thing was a circus, as the witnesses for Paco had described the whole trial!

Sensationalism sells, right?

What was pretty unethical was that the Calvento Files featured the case, while the trial was going on. The late Antonio "Tony" Calvento may have provided the footage used for the drama. Calvento may have repented of the deed. There's almost no way to watch the whole episode again. Instead, clips of the episode were used, featuring the reenactment in the courtroom. After remembering it, I came to realize why Niño Muhlach apologized to Paco, after some time. Niño was assigned to play as Paco in that same episode. I'm sorry to say, but sensationalism sells, right?

What happened to the right to be assumed innocent before proven guilty? I have to facepalm when I told a certain lawyer, "It's possible that a crime happened and the wrong people got arrested." I only got the "HaHa" reaction to that statement. One must think of what happened to the late George Stinney Jr.--an African American boy who was wrongfully executed. If I'm not wrong, the real killers have never been found. Proper examination could've spared George Jr. from the sad fate that he suffered, to have died so young. Instead, we know how sensationalism sells, and hence why tabloids sell. It's why fake news spreads much faster. It's probably why a lot of the Philippine press engages in rambunctious practices. The late Lee Kuan Yew was right to call the Philippine press rambunctious in his book From Third World to First.

What was also more unethical was that the late Federico "Toto" Natividad Jr. created the film Animal. The film was supposed to screen in 1999 but ended up screening in 2004--coincidentally when Paco was supposed to be executed. The Chiong parents made a move against the film. Strangely, the Larrañagas didn't move against it. It was most likely meant to ride on the hype against Paco. The late John Regala also looks like Paco, and the character was named Jaco. The fictional movie was probably created to caricature the whole event. However, I don't recommend watching the film since it encourages exploitation. The only reason why the seven convicted were sentenced to death was because one of the sisters survived. In the real case, Jacqueline's body was never found for some reason. Some people die with their bodies never recovered.

The true killers may still remain free, which should be a lot more frightening

After I realized Paco was innocent, I still refuse to believe that the Chiong Sisters are alive. The fact that some people still question the identity of the dead woman in Carcar can scare me. If that woman wasn't Marijoy, then someone out there has lost a loved one. However, nobody claimed the body when it was found, which might be conclusive that the body is indeed Marijoy. If that body is Marijoy and the Paco et al are innocent in that regard, it's a frightening thought that whoever did the crime is still around. The brutality done to the woman (who I still believe is Marijoy) is just inhuman. The fact that Jacqueline's body was never found might indicate that the person may have suffered horribly before being murdered. There was even a speculation that Jacqueline was chopped up like the chop-chop lady cases. 

I gave a thought that the fact that Paco was innocent means David's narration was false. It's such a waste that the filmmakers of Give Up Tomorrow weren't able to find David in Bohol. David was probably in America, and might be living in America today. I couldn't be sure if the photos found are actually of David himself. David was probably easy to manipulate, which made him ideal to tell that story in court. What I may have never noticed was that David's narration was pretty forced.

Villarin interviewed the real owner of the boarding house. Apparently, the owner of the boardinghouse probably never knew the Aznars personally. Gogan Gurkan, the owner of the safehouse (and probably married to a Filipino woman, can't be sure), mentioned that the house was too small. There were other suspects. Even DNA could prove that the crime never happened in that location. Right now, I find David's claim that they stopped by Guadalupe to rape the girls to be preposterous. One must wonder where the neighbors who could've testified that the crime actually happened in that location?

If the events that David gave were all false, then I must wonder what truly happened to the Chiong Sisters? There are a lot of unanswered questions. Right now, somebody's in the same kind of danger done by the true murderers of the Chiong Sisters. These guys may probably be in their 50s (or 60s) now but they're probably still causing crimes somewhere in Cebu (where the crime happened). Right now, there are times that I couldn't help but worry someone I know (or some stranger) might already be in the same target range.