a F January-Marcu 2000 PR 17 Monitor Before and After the Vizconde Trial THE VIZCONDE MASSACRE case bas been called one of the greatest trials ofthe century. Even as the trial came -ontinued to bea heavily debated “Who- Since 1991, three sets of suspects for the murders of Estrelita and Jennifer Vizconde and the rape and murder of Carmela Vizconde in their home in Sucat, Parafiaque on June 30, 1991 have been presented to the courts, The last group of suspects was recently found guilty and sentenced Six youths from well-to-do families were Two were sons of well-known to life terms. convicted of the murders parents. The public at trial has focused on the controversy surrounding ige and witnesses as well as the trial itself. jon given to this erime and to the the ju Media Taking Sides But recent news coverage before and after the tial shows that the case has affected even those who are expected to be impartial—media, News coverage showed media taking sides. A day or two before Judge Amelita Tolentine’s historic decision on January 6, newspapers highlighted high-profile theauteome of the trial. On January 4, the Manila Standard posted the headline “Webb Guilty Cuevas” on its front page, implying that then-Justice Sectetary Serafin Cuevas (Editor's Note: He has since resigned over the controversial presidential pardon of Norberto Manero Jr.) believed that Hubert Webb and his co-aceused Antonio Lejano, Miguel Rodriguez, Michael Gatchalian, Hospicio Fernandez and Peter Estrada were indeed guilty of the crimes. The Philippine Daily Inquirer headlined on its back page “Defense sees conviction of Hubert”. The headlines were presumptive opinions on the ‘outcome of the trial prior to the formal decision later that week. Then-Justice Secretary Cucvas took isste with the Standard headline, claiming it “was a long shot from the statement that I gave to some members of the media.” He also said thatthe headline in particular could anger the court (Standard, January 5), Whether or not the stories were accurate in recording these opinions, the issue is one of propriety. The judge's decision is held confidential as a way of protecting its integrity. The publication of presumptive opinions, however opinions, pret Life term, no parole for Webb, 5 others NBI saw heroism in Jessica’s18 PR January-Marcx 2000 authoritative, pre-empts the decision itself. A Necessary Review and Background Many newspapers sensed the public’s need to become reacquainted with the case and responded with chronologies ofthe events leading to the decision and hurman-interest stories concerning those involved in the case. The Inquirer's chronology not only highlighted the events from the rmurders to the day of the final judgment of the case this year but also chronicled the libel case filed against them by the Webb family ‘The Standard’ s chronology on January 7 traced the Vizconde case from 1991 to the beginning of the trial but emphasized the importance of prosecution key witness Jessica Alfaro’s testimony in the case. The most complete chronology of the ‘events leading to the day ofthe conviction was the chronology of Today on January 5, Getting It Right ‘The Philippine Star miscalculated the ages of the victims when it published the article “Carmela Vizeonde would have tured 26 today” in its January 5 issue, Carmela was already 18 years old in June 1991 so she would have tumed 27. It also claimed that Jennifer was 5 and Estrelita 45 years old at the time of their deaths when they were actually 7 and 47 years old respectively. All other newspapers got it right, at least according to the Volunteers Against Crime and Comuption (VAC) Other articles included the opinions and predictions of both the prosecution and defense but a few of the Manila ‘Times's reports injected color which suggested where they stood on the issuc of guilt or innocence. Such phrases are out ‘of place in straight news reporting, especially when dealing with controversial cases. ‘The Times used such phrases as “budding woman’ — where “young woman” would have sufficed—to deseribe ‘Carmela atthe time of her death in its January 6 report. The next day, it described Judge Tolentino as a “feisty woman, judge” where referring to her simply as a “judge” was ‘sufficient identification. Some journalists think that writing in this kind of ashy prose makes these stories more memorable. But they always have to check why they are using the adjectives and what effect the added “color” has on the reader. Sensational stories are best told by straightforward writing. Likewise, the paragraph “Estrada, 35, the oldest and Diggest of the accused, seemed dazed and behaved like & confused teenager” described Peter Estrada after the court Monitor clerk read the decision and the sentence, But the story did not include further description. So how does a typical teenager, specifically a confused teenager, behave, given the same situation? Does anybody really know? Such subjective rendering of the reaction seems unwarranted unless the writer is trying to wring some reaction from the reader who was not there to sce for himself. Filart Arrest Malaya’s, the Standard’s, the Times’, the Inquirer's and the Star’s treatment of the arrest of 2 “Jocy Filart” fell into the same trap of taking the police line (arresting police were based in Isabela) and going with it, without checking with Manila police sources or even with their own library. Publishing the photograph of Joey Filart, handcuffed and surrounded by uniformed police, recalled the recent conviction of Hubert Webb and his eo-accused in January. {t built up the public mind the assumption that he was the ‘Joey Filart’ Alfaro accused of being involved in the murders and still wanted by the police. Notonly the reporter isto blame here. All those involved in putting out those pages should have recalled that there had been a previous story in 1995 which involved a false arrest ofa Joey Filact, Some data bank might have held the picture of the man, ‘ ‘Are newsrooms expected to hold this memory’ The best newsrooms would not presume to take the police claim that they got a man who had been at-large without reviewing the ‘case history, especially one as prominent as the Vizconde murder and trial. As everyone would soon find out and perhaps remember, Alfaro had already established that this Filart was not the one who was involved in the Vizeonde massacre. A call to the NBI would have also clarified this. ‘The newsroom should be able to depend on case folders holding story files from the beginning, from the first breaking. news story. ‘This means Teference also to the entire background of the Vizconde case. The brutality of the Vizconde massaere and the succeeding high profile court trials were elevated to celebrity status with the involvement of prominent families in the case, bbut prominent families or not, the media coverage surrounding, the case should have been more cautious. ©