Ex-US Embassy official: Hubert Webb was in US during Vizconde killings

A former official of the US Embassy in Manila has backed Hubert Webb’s claim that he was in the US when three members of the Vizconde family were killed inside their Parañaque home in June 1991. In a report in GMA News’ “24 Oras," Robert Heafner, former legal attaché of the US Embassy, said he helped in the investigation on the Vizconde case after talking with then National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Alfredo Lim. “I then was able to verify that Hubert Webb did arrive in the US through his US immigration record and separately through his US custom record and thirdly through his California driver’s license that had his photo and thumbprint on it," Heafner said. The defense during the trial said Webb, son of former Senator Freddie Webb, couldn’t have perpetrated the crime because he was in the US from March 1991 to October 1992. The Parañaque Regional Trial Court, however, dismissed this alibi and convicted Webb and nine others in October 2000 for the killings of Estrellita Vizconde and her daughters Carmela and Jennifer on June 30, 1991.

“During the long span of time between March 1991 and October 1992, it was not physically impossible for the accused Webb to have returned to the Philippines, perpetrate the criminal act, and travel back to the US," part of the Pasay RTC ruling said. The Court of Appeals upheld the conviction in December 2005. Webb appealed the two rulings before the Supreme Court two years later. In April this year, the Supreme Court granted Webb's request for a DNA analysis and directed the NBI to produce the samples. But the NBI said the specimen was no longer with it because it was submitted to the Parañaque RTC when the case was still on trial. However, records of the trial court showed that what the NBI submitted were only photos of the DNA samples. Last Oct. 19, 2010, the Supreme Court said it would no longer require the conduct of a DNA analysis because the NBI could no longer produce the specimen. It also said the case is ready for resolution. Lauro Vizconde, widower and father of the victims, meanwhile, questioned the timing of Heafner’s statement on Webb’s whereabouts. “Si Heafner, ang totoo niyan, sinubpoena ng court to testify. Pero hindi siya sumipot. Bakit (Heafter was subpoenaed by the court during the trial, but he did not show up. Why)?" Vizconde said in the same “24 Oras" report. Heafner also belied claims that the Webb family used their influence in the US to make it appear that Hubert was really there during the time of the Vizconde killings. “In the US it’d be difficult for a foreigner having contact or influence with several government agencies," he said. “To me there’s no doubt that he (Hubert) was in the US at that time," he added. - KBK, GMANews.TV