An Angel’s Cry For Justice

I received a news that a six-year old girl was found dead at a vacant house in Bright Homes, Caypombo, Sta Maria, Bulacan. The poor girl was even raped. The suspect was the father of her playmate who is their neighbor.

How can somebody in his right mind abuse and kill an innocent little girl? The suspect is believed to be high in drugs when he did the heinous crime. Drugs is dangerous to the user’s health but it is even more dangerous to the innocent people who can be the next victim of the user’s trippings. We know that drugs are dangerous. We suspect that a neighbor or a relative is a user but we are not courageous enough to do something about it. We are either afraid or we just felt that it is none of our business. We only react once a crime like this happens.

Putting that bastard to jail won’t change the fact that the little angel is dead. There’s more to it that we can do. Let’s be vigilant about abusive neighbors. Let’s be supportive against anti-drug campaign. Let’s be more protective of our kids.

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Justice For Given Grace

Hindi tao ang gumawa nito- DEMONYO. A 19-year old Computer Science student in UPLB was found dead last October 10, 2011. Nakaposas ang kamay, may saksak sa likuran, may pasak na panyo sa bibig. Hindi pa tapos ang imbestigasyon kung sya nga ba ay na-rape din. Malamang. Ano naman ang pangunahing motibo kung hindi ang pangagagahasa? May isang tricycle driver na nahuli at ayon sa kanya, ginamit lang syang service ng tunay na salarin na isang security guard. Kung totoo man, bakit hindi nya naisip na baka may gawing masama ang sekyu na yun kay Given Grace? Ang weird naman na sa may damuhan magpahatid si Given Grace o kahit ang sekyu. Kahit sabihin pang inakala nyang mag-boyfriend ang dalawa, hindi ang lugar na yun ang papasyalan ng magdyowa na bukod sa madamo ay mukhang madilim pa.

Another life is wasted just because of those moronic people. Moron na walang silbi sa lipunan kundi mag-abang ng bibiktimahin. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—iparanas sa salarin ang hirap na dinanas ni Given Grace sa kanila. Walang puwang ang demonyo sa lupa, sa impyerno sila nababagay.

Vizconde Massacre: Random Memories

Considered to be one of the sensational crimes our country has ever experienced, the Vizconde massacre will continue to make history on the generations to come. And why not? The accused and now convicted rapists-murderers are members of prominent families in Metro Manila with Hubert Webb as the biggest fish of them all. Time is indeed very fast. I was a young girl when this heinous crime happened. It was the headline in People’s Journal then. There were pictures of Carmela, Jennifer and their mom on the front page. Carmela was very pretty. Jennifer was cute. Their mom looked regal. The family was upper middle class.

For someone as young, beautiful and promising as Carmela, someone as lovable as Jennifer and someone as full of life as Mrs. Vizconde, the nation felt a great loss and mourned with Mr. Lauro Vizconde. The first batch of suspects were members of the notorious Akyat-Bahay Gang. I think even Carmela’s boyfriend was invited for some interrogations.

I cannot exactly remember how Hubert Webb came into the picture and how Jessica Alfaro finally spoke up and became the star witness. All I knew was there were great personalities at that time who testified that Hubert was in the States at the time the crime supposedly happened.

Then there was a face off between Mr. Lauro Vizconde and Mr. Freddie Webb about the massacre issue. Was it in Che Che Lazaro’s show? Ah, correct me if I’m wrong, dear readers! Mr. Lauro despite the pain, managed to keep his cool during the face off. Mr. Freddie appeared sympathetic to Mr. Lauro but was so sure that his son could never be the rapist/murderer. The tale of two fathers from opposite perspectives.

It was the trial of the decade and Erap was the president when Hubert and company were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt. The judge gave more weight to Jessica Alfaro’s statement versus the records presented by Hubert’s camp that proved that he was in the States when the crime happened. We thought that it was just a show; that Erap would let Hubert escape after a month. But it never happened.

To date, Hubert’s camp is requesting to revisit the case. I wonder why the NBI did not safekeep the semen samples when they knew from the start that they need to be extra careful on this since the Vizconde massacre is no ordinary case.

It has been two decades and still there is no real peace of mind……

Update as of December 14, 2010:
SC acquits ex-senator’s son in Vizconde massacre

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:34:00 12/14/2010

Filed Under: Crime, Crime and Law and Justice

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) The Supreme Court acquitted Hubert Webb and five others for the murders of Estrellita Vizconde, and daughters Carmela and Jennifer, its spokesman said Tuesday.

Webb is the son of former senator Freddie Webb.

“The Supreme Court found inconsistencies in the evidence of the prosecution,” lawyer Midas Marquez said on radio.

He said aside from Webb, Antonio “Tonyboy” Lejano, Michael Gatchalian, Hospicio “Pyke” Fernandez, Peter Estrada and Miguel “Ging” Rodriguez and three others were cleared by the high tribunal.

Update: December 15, 2010
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/december2010/176389.htm

Who’s To Blame?

My officemates who planned their Hong Kong trip on February decided to cancel their trip after the bloody Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking event shocked the world. A week ago, I was planning to bring my family to Hong Kong Disneyland next year. And two weeks from now, my brother will arrive from the Middle East; he will have his stop-over in where else but Hong Kong!

It was a rainy Monday night when I learned about the hostage-taking event through my neighbor. I was clueless and uninterested; not because I didn’t care about what was happening but because in my mind, I was confident that it would end very peacefully. Remember the 2007 hostage-taking incident wherein Bong Revilla and Chavit acted as negotiator?

The next day, I was shocked to know that eight people were killed during the hostage-taking. They were innocent people; foreigners who went here just to take a break and enjoy. My heart was mourning with the victims’ family. I wanted to know who is to blame.

According to reports, Senior Inspector Mendoza felt that the Ombudsman’s decision to sack him of a crime (extortion) that he did not commit was very unfair. His track record prior to that incident was impressive. Now, people were angry at him for what he did on that fateful Monday. Did he die for the cause that he was fighting for? Why did he have to kill innocent people and what triggered him? Who’s to blame for what he did?

The media covered the event LIVE. Thus, Mendoza was able to know what was happening outside the bus through TV. Who’s to blame for that coverage? The networks’ executives? Are they really after the ratings?

The SWAT team appeared unprepared and shaken. Who’s to blame for their performance? Do they really lack training?

Would it make a difference if P-Noy talked with the hostage-taker? He was reportedly on track with the situation but it seemed that Donald Tsang would disagree. If Manila Mayor Aflredo Lim talked with Mendoza, would there be a chance that he could pacify him? He, being a former military man?

I am particulary sympathetic to Jason Wong. He lost his parents; he’s just a child. He survived because a kind and tactful mother (a fellow tourist) asked Mendoza if she could bring with her the boy. (They were released together with her kids and an elderly woman who was said to be suffering from diarrhea.)

Yes, Monday’s incident was an isolated case but can we blame Hong Kong if they turn their anger to our OFW’s there? Unfair as it is and it only proves that whatever we do as individuals, good or bad, it equates to how foreigners view us as a nation and vice versa.

Quirino Grandstand Hostage-Taking

Still unverified if there is a survivor by the name of BANG LU MIN.

Postcripts Of A BloodBath

by Bang Lu Min
(One of the Hostages)

Mr. Mendoza was already upset even before he saw on television what the policemen did to his brother. The other tourists who remained inside the bus were complaining. Wei Ji Jiang wanted to go to the bathroom. Dao Chi Yu was hungry and the rest were just groaning and whining like they have forgotten that our lives rest in Mr. Mendoza’s hands.

The hostage taker, as you know him was really nice. He treated us okay and even let the elders and the children leave the bus. He said your policemen treated him unfairly. He was a policeman too and was accused of doing something he had no knowledge of. But your government didn’t listen so he used us to get everyone’s attention.

Things would have never turned for the worst if he didn’t see how his family was dragged out of their house and taken into custody. He was watching the news all the time as we huddled around each other behind the bus. He shouted some words in your language then started shooting in the air. A girl about my age started screaming. Mr. Mendoza demanded her to stop but she didn’t understand English. God, he had to slash her neck with a knife just to put her to rest. Her boyfriend who tried to hit him was shot in the head.

Tension was rising. You can see in his face how scared and confused he was. The bus driver ran away leaving him alone with strangers from a distant land. I can see him walking across the aisle, sometimes pointing his machine gun to one of the tourists. But he tried his best not to hurt us, especially those who really cooperate.

I guess its in your nature not to inflict pain on others unless it was necessary. I remember him saying that he will free us before sundown and implored us to forget everything when we return home. But his words don’t matter now. The policemen were trying to force their way in, while we all lied down to shield ourselves from bullets. Mister Mendoza blindly shoots at his enemies which I think kept them from rescuing us. I hear sobs under the chairs. Some were even shouting the names of their loved ones even when the air merely eat their words. Kevin Tang tried to escape when the glass door was was shattered, but one shot and he slumped on the floor with blood gushing from his mouth.

Heavy rain pitter-pattered on the rooftop. In old Chinese saying, it means an end to a struggle. Finally, somebody was able to open the escape hatch at the back of the bus. Freedom. But I knew Mister Mendoza was still alive. I knew he was just waiting for a chance to strike back at his enemies. So I told those around me not to escape. Let the authorities come for us instead. Then there was gunfire. He was firing at his enemies with a machine gun. Those who were at the escape hatch fled abandoning us once again. It’s like a nightmare with no end and to wake up means a certain death. Then somebody from outside the bus threw a canister. It forced out a black smoke that is so painful to the eyes and putrid smelling to the nose. People started screaming. We cannot breathe. Some ran in front of the bus but Mister Mendoza warned them of stray bullets. It was too late. One was hit on the head, the other was hit on the shoulders. Bullets were now flying. Its like the authorities thought we were all dead. Mister Mendoza finally realizes his mistake and said sorry to everyone, dead or alive. He then ran towards the front of the bus where he would meet his maker. As he passed by my chair with bullets whistling overhead, I clutched my hand on the velvet curtain and wrapped it around my face. All I could think of was to stay alive – for my child who is waiting for me back in Xinjang. I know I will survive,

I will come home.

Bang Lu Min
Survivor, Quirino Bloodbath