I know there are law students here....
Please enlighten me on this statement guys. I am so confuse in our justices in our country.
They are so stupid and i dont know how to call them?...
MANILA, Philippines—The acquittal of Hubert Webb and six of his co-accused in the Vizconde massacre case did not mean that they were innocent of the crime, a Supreme Court spokesman said Wednesday.
Midas Marquez, the tribunal’s spokesman and court administrator, said the high court’s decision only held that the prosecution panel failed to prove Webb et al. guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
“We have to understand that the decision of the Supreme Court maintained that there was no enough basis to stay the conviction of the accused,” Marquez said in a news briefing.
“The magistrates did not say that they were innocent and that they did not commit the crime,” he added.
Marquez said Webb and his six co-accused could sue the state for damages, but their complaint would have to go through the process.
“If they claim that they were wrongfully prosecuted and jailed, then they have to prove it in court. It should go through the normal procedure,” he explained.
He then appealed for calm among critics of the high court’s decision, saying, “It would be better if they read the entire decision.”
The supplemental opinion of Justice Arturo Brion, who voted against the acquittal, would also help the public better understand the high court’s ruling, according to Marquez.
He also clarified that the Supreme Court’s ruling was not a vindication for Webb et al.
“I’m not saying that justice has been served. Those who killed the Vizcondes have yet to be held accountable. Where is justice there?” he said.
Voting 7-4, the high tribunal on Tuesday decided to overturn the conviction of Webb and the other co-accused due to inconsistencies in the testimony of star witness Jessica Alfaro.