The Supreme Court has acquitted the convicted murderers in the controversial decade-old Vizconde massacre case, reversing an earlier local court decision sentencing those accused of life imprisonment.
“The court has acquitted Hubert Webb, Antonio Lejano, Michael Gatchalian, Pyke Fernandez, Miguel Rodriguez, Peter Estrada and Gerardo Biong,” Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez told a press conference.
Seven magistrates voted for the acquittal, four voted against, four others abstained.
“The prosecution was not able to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” said Marquez.
Marquez added the Supreme Court also noted that the quality of testimonies of the witnesses, including those of Jessica Alfaro “could not be relied on.”
“It was more on the quality of witnesses presented by the prosecution. The quality of testimony and marked inconsistencies of the witnesses could not be relied on,” Marquez added.
Fritz Webb, brother of Hubert, earlier said the acquittal is the best Christmas gift for their family.
On June 30, 1991 Estrellita, Carmela and Jennifer Vizconde were brutally killed inside the Paranaque abode.
Webb’s alibi was he was not in the country at the time and was actually in the United States.
Webb’s family earlier launched an online campaign seeking for Hubert’s freedom and provided the public their evidence that Hubert was not at the crime scene.
As of this posting, #Vizconde is among the trending topics on Twitter.
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