Better Late Than Never Ever..

One night, I find myself flipping through channels out of boredom. I saw someone cooking. I was hungry and the food caught my eye. Little did I know, I’ll watch something that would change my life. The food that caught my eye was for someone I knew since I was 6 years old, Hubert Webb. I have always been a fan of Cheche Lazaro so I put down the remote control and took every word in. I was thinking whatelse can Cheche show. The Vizconde Massacre has been the most televised case in the entire Philippines. Until that night, I was certain Hubert was guilty. For the first time, the media showed both sides of the story. There was no judgement. All that was presented were facts. Two fathers seeking justice.

A few weeks after, I found my housemate frantically browsing through videos in YouTube. She asked me if I have heard the news about Hubert Webb. I haven’t turned on the TV in a while and I learned that Hubert was found not guilty the day before. She found messages on Facebook about how Hubert was innocent, how people think that releasing Hubert was an injustice and how heartbreaking it is to see a father weep over another father’s relief.

Everybody believed that Hubert Webb was guilty. For decades, Hubert Webb meant murderer. Now that the frenzy died and we are all focused on actual evidence, we realize how other’s opinion affected our own. 

I believe Hubert Webb deserves a public apology from NBI and the media. Just how I wrongly equate the name Michael Jackson to pedophilia, I was one of those who believed in absolute faith that he did the crime. The least thing I can do is acknowledge that I was one with the public who found Hubert Webb guilty before the case even reached the court. It doesn't matter much but I apologize for making such harsh judgments.