Investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group appealed to the Webb family to fully cooperate with the ongoing reinvestigation of the 1991 Vizconde massacre case to once and for all clear Hubert Webb of the crime.

An official involved in the reinvestigation particularly called on Hubert  to support the reinvestigation ordered by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima amid the confession of a female witness who claimed she has full knowledge of the crime. The new witness even agreed to a polygraph test to prove that she is telling the truth.

However, the official who asked not to be named said they are racing against time since the 20-year prescription period to charge those responsible for the murders will lapse on June 30.

The reinvestigation of the Vizconde case was ordered by Malacañang immediately after the acquittal of Webb, et al.

The official admitted the new breakthrough in the case could affect the integrity of the NBI agents who investigated the case in 1991.

A battery of veteran CIDG and NBI investigators have been digging through old criminal files and investigation reports on the Vizconde case since the year started.

A lawyer of Hubert Webb, Demetrio Custodio, expressed belief the breakthrough in the reinvestigation of the Vizconde case refers to other people, not his client.

“A development pointing to Hubert Webb is not a development or breakthrough at all.  They know that Hubert Webb has been absolved with finality. I am confident that with the judgment of acquittal by the Supreme Court of Hubert Webb, the development the DOJ is speaking of is pointing to people (who are) not Hubert Webb,” the lawyer said referring to the fact that the young Webb and six others were acquitted of the grisly murders by the Supreme Court last December due to “failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.

De Lima bared that the list of suspects being looked into had been trimmed down.

She refused to give further details but expressed optimism that criminal charges will be filed in court before the lapse of the prescription period.                Alfred Dalizon