Vizconde massacre witness will undergo lie-detector test next week—De Lima

MANILA, Philippines—A witness in the Vizconde massacre case will undergo a lie-detector test next week, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said in a press conference Thursday.

However, she refused to give details about the witness.

De Lima added the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) came up with a second breakthrough in the reinvestigation of the case.

“But I can’t disclose pending full validation of the facts,” De Lima said. She explained that the CIDG and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is polishing the details. The first breakthrough was courtesy of the NBI while the second was that of the CIDG.

“Both breakthroughs are crucial. There are points of convergence and points of disparity that is why they need to validate it further,” she said.

However, De Lima said they reminded the two agencies to come up with the result because the deadline is just a month away.

The 20 year prescription period on the Vizconde case will end on the last week of June.

De Lima ordered the re-investigation after the Supreme Court on December 14, 2010 reversed and set aside the guilty verdict meted out by the Paranaque Regional Trial Court on Hubert Webb and his co-accused on the killing of Estrellita Vizconde and daughters Carmela and Jennifer inside their Paranaque home.

Aside from Webb, the high court acquitted and freed Antonio “Tonyboy” Lejano, Peter Estrada, Michael Gatchalian, Hospicio “Pyke” Fernandez and Miguel Rodriguez.

Former policeman Gerardo Biong, who was charged as an accessory and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, was likewise freed after serving his sentence before the high court handed down the Dec. 14, 2010 verdict.