Palace keeping distance from Vizconde case

MANILA, Philippines –  Malacañang is keeping distance from the Vizconde massacre case amid exchanges of accusations between the victims’ patriarch Lauro Vizconde and the family of Hubert Webb, one of the principal accused in the crime.

“We’d like to decline comment. It is under the Supreme Court (SC), it is sub judice. It will not be proper for us to comment on something that is under the jurisdiction of SC. It will take its course with or without anything from the Palace,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over radio dzRB.

This developed as Gerardo Biong, a former policeman convicted of tampering with evidence concerning the massacre, had been freed after serving almost a decade behind bars as part of his sentence.

Biong’s release came a day after Lauro Vizconde, whose wife and two daughters were found stabbed to death in the family home in 1991, claimed that an SC justice was trying to sway fellow members of the tribunal into acquitting Webb and other men convicted of the crime.

The SC is still deliberating on the issues of the case – for instance, the guilt of primary suspect Webb, a son of former Senator Freddie Webb. It is expected to issue a ruling next week.

The Webbs said Vizconde must be able to name the justice and prove his accusations.