Deadline nears for new Vizconde probe

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima Thursday said that with the end of the prescription period for the filing of charges against perpetrators of 1991 Vizconde massacre fast approaching, she and investigating authorities were feeling the pressure to produce results that would bring justice to the murdered family.

“I feel the pressure and I think the agents feel it too,” De Lima said at a press conference.

She said the looming deadline was the reason why National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Magtanggol Gatdula and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) head, Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, were now “hands on” in the case.

The Justice Department, the NBI, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) only have until June 30 to file charges against the killers of Estrellita Vizconde and her daughters, Carmela and Jennifer, as the 20-year prescriptive period for the case ends on the day, the 20th year of the commission of the crime.

Former Supreme Court spokesperson Ismael Khan describes the prescription of a crime “as the forfeiture of the right of the State to prosecute the accused after the lapse of a certain prescribed period of time,” for example, 20 years for crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment.

De Lima said that “there seems to be a second breakthrough” in the reinvestigation, this time by the CIDG. A witness, she said, would be taking a polygraph test next week.

De Lima had earlier said a breakthrough had been achieved by the NBI.

“I know that you would be asking, are these two [breakthroughs] the same? Let me put it this way, there are points of similarity, there are points of difference. That is why more time is needed to finish what they [NBI and CIDG] are doing now. I made it clear to them that they should work together,” de Lima said.

De Lima did not elaborate on the breakthroughs, content only to say, “But everyone has been advised … about the urgency of coming up with results of the reinvestigation because the prescriptive period is nearing, especially if there would be new suspects who will be charged.”

Not being able to file any case anew to resurrect the case of the Vizconde murders “would be the worst-case scenario,” De Lima said.

The Justice Department opened a reinvestigation of the case after the principal accused, Hubert Webb, and six of his co-accused, were acquitted by the Supreme Court last year.