'Probing team to focus on 3 sets of suspects'

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima revealed yesterday that the interagency task force created to reinvestigate the Vizconde massacre that happened in 1991 in Parañaque would focus their inquiry on three sets of suspects in a bid to put closure to the case within six months.

In a press conference, De Lima said joint teams of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would revisit the case and concentrate on the alleged involvement of three groups that were considered in the initial investigation.

She said subjects of the reinvestigation are members of the Barroso akyat-bahay gang and a group of construction workers tagged by witness Rodel Acuña.

De Lima said that although the Supreme Court already acquitted Hubert Webb and his co-accused last week, they would still be subjected to the reinvestigation even if cases could no longer be filed against them because of their constitutional right against double jeopardy.

“So we have three sets of alleged perpetrators. We also formed three teams from NBI-DID (Death Investigation Division) and another three from PNP CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group),” she said.

Court records showed that the crime was committed on June 29, 1991. Carmela Vizconde was raped and killed, her mother Estrellita and younger sister Jennifer were also killed.

Then Parañaque Regional Trial Court judge and now Court of Appeals Justice Amelita Tolentino convicted Hubert Webb, son of former Sen. Freddie Webb, and his co-accused Antonio “Tony Boy” Lejano, Michael Gatchalian, Hospicio “Pyke” Fernandez, Peter Estrada and Miguel “Ging” Rodriguez in January 2000 and sentenced them to life imprisonment on the charges of rape with homicide.

An accessory, Gerardo Biong, was also sentenced to imprisonment of 12 years. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe