Webb et al. can no longer be charged, says De Lima

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that Hubert Webb was in the Philippines when the Vizconde massacre happened,  Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Tuesday said they could no longer push for his prosecution after he and his group were acquitted by the Supreme Court.

De Lima said that despite the findings of the NBI, they could still not place Webb and his group at the scene of the crime.

“There is no credible evidence that would place him at the scene of the crime,” she said.

“He can also no longer be charged because of the principle of double jeopardy,” De Lima added.

The constitutional protection against double jeopardy shields one from a second or later prosecution for the same offense.

Article III Section 21 states that no person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the same offense, providing further that if an act is punished by a law and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to another prosecution for the same act.

De Lima said the purpose of the reinvestigation was to “ferret out the truth.”

The supposed witness “Black Maria,” who was believed to be an eye witness, said that while she knew Webb and co-accused Tony Boy Lejano, who was also acquitted, she had no knowledge of the massacre.

But De Lima said they could still run after Joey Filart and Artemio “Dong” Ventura who were among the co-accused of Webb’s group but were never arraigned or tried because they escaped.

Another group of suspects, including a certain Eduardo Villadolid and brother Rommel, was still being pursued, De Lima said.

“They can still be brought to court,” she added.