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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

MAY 17, 1972: THE MAGGIE DE LA RIVA RAPE CASE, Part 3: 3 DIE IN CHAIR AT MUNTINLUPA



Jose, Pineda, Aquino pay
with lives for Maggie rape

May 18, 1972/ The Manila Times

Muntinlupa, Rizal, May 17--- Three young men today paid with their lives in the electric chair for the abduction and rape of a movie actress five years ago. Last-minute appeals by relatives, including that of one mother who sat it out in MalacaƱang waiting to see the President, failed to save the lives of Jaime Jose, 26, Basilio I. Pineda, 25, and Edgardo Aquino, 30. Their companion in one of the postwar era’s most sensational case, Rogelio Canial, robbed the electric chair of a fourth victim. He died late last year from an overdose of drugs while awaiting for the Supreme Court’s final decision.


Under sedation

A pale and dazed Jose was the first to walk the final steps to the execution chamber. He had just recovered from shock and had to be placed under sedation. His eyes stared blankly and unseeing as he walked between two priests with lips repeating their prayers. Among those who witnessed his final moments was his father, Dr. Jose Jose. The doctor, who had promised his son that he would be there, stood beside Brig. Gen. Vicente Raval, the prisons director, during the execution. He stepped out of the execution chamber when his son was pronounced dead at 3:20 p.m. Following the order set down in the Supreme Court decision, Pineda came next. He had a minor hassle with prison guards when, owing to a slight confusion, they started to lead Aquino to the death chamber ahead of him. He was strapped into the chair at 3:40 p.m. and pronounced dead at 3:55.
Aquino came last. He died at 4:10 p.m. While he was in the death chamber his mother, who had been keeping him company since morning fainted into the arms of her eight other children Doctors who attended to the three doomed men were Drs. Gervacia Mata, Zoraida Ocampo and Aurelio Alcantara for Jose; Avelina Alcantara, Ester Cordero and Luz Alma Santos for Pineda; and Argente Alejandrino, Luz Enriquez and Avelina Alacantara forAquino.

Weeping relatives

Three anesthesiologists--- Drs. Ricardo de Vera, Leonida Panopio and Bautista Placino--- administered to the three doomed men. The three convicts were transferred from the prison hospital to the anteroom of the death chamber at midnight yesterday. There they were kept company by weeping relatives. At 7 a.m., the death sentence was read to them, after which they had breakfast of fried chicken, bread and coffee. Except for the request that their heads be shaven at 10 a.m. instead of the usual right after breakfast, the prisoners’ only other request was for some friends in the death row to be brought to them. This request, however, was not granted, because of a near-riot earlier in the day.

Last meal
For lunch, their last meal, the prisoners had kare-kare, chicken tinola, lobsters, crispy pata, lechon, fried lapu-lapu, and ice cream. Jose hardly touched the food, although a sister dutifully spoon-fed him. Pineda ate his meal with his estranged wife, sisters and other relatives Aquino tried to cheer up his mother by offering her food and hugging her. While the convicts and their relatives prayed at about 1 p.m., inmates in the nearby cells started singing Cursillo songs and praying aloud.

‘Mama’
Then, at about 3 p.m., silence descended on the whole prison compound and nothing was heard except the plaintive song from a convict in some cell. “Mama, I’ll miss the days when you were here beside me…” Inside the execution chamber, the death sentence handed by then Judge Lourdes San Diego of the Quezon City court of first instance, the Supreme Court decision and the final presidential reprieve for 60 days was read in succession by General Raval. The general then turned to the justice department’s representative in the room to ask if there was any word from the President. Told that there was none, he ordered the first prisoner to be brought in.

to continue reading the article,
click the image above

see The Maggie de la Riva Rape Case, Part One
see The Maggie de la Riva Rape Case, Part Two

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent article!
I was still in elementary school when this sensational news broke out. Young and old had their ears on radio to listen to the whole proceeding as if it was the biggest event of the century.

Emotions were felt, sadness overcomes anything else. Life matters, but they set a good example to the public that rape is a bad thing to do.

All were victims of society... that is not my opinion, but of all Filipinos who knows that very moment.

alfonso soriano

Anonymous said...

Dr. Avelina Alcantara is my paternal grandmother, and i remember days when she would come home and tell us about her "days at the office". UNREAL!!!

Anonymous said...

wish we could bring back those days when true justice prevailed. now, the system has extremely deteriorated...as in the case of the vizconde massacre....where's the justice there?

Anonymous said...

Status counts.... it helps to be a famous person.Carmela Vizconde was just an ordinary girl abused by heartless,rich brats.Nomatter how much her dad, Lauro Vizconde, has fought,he's not heard....very, very sad! Anyway, God is not sleeping. He's the Ultimate Judge.Sinners be happy now while you are in this earth...our life here is only temporary!

Anonymous said...

This case shows true justice,and says justice cant be paid by money...
i saw the movie at PBO.....
in the vizconde massacre case...
i feel sadness and hunger for justice for Mr.Lauro Vizconde.....
i hope he would find true justice...
Phillipines is full of bribes that is why truth doest came out in court sometimes.....
i feel your sandness Mr.Lauro Vizconde

Anonymous said...

this is a very nice article.
for me it was too harsh however it is part of the process

Unknown said...

dgar Aquino was our neighbor when this happened. I remember playing with his sisters Mildred and Joy Aquino. We had good times. I remember Edgar taking us to Sunday Mass because he doesn't want anything to happen to me and my sisters. He was a good man. So when I heard about this gruesome story at a tender age, I was very sad. I felt for his sisters and I was crying inside. Up till now, it still affects me. May he rest in peace.

Anonymous said...

Justice served. For those who said about the judgement on the Vizconde Massacre...were you there? Why do you say "bribed"? Where are your evidences? And you spoke of God? Accusing one without sufficient evidence is not what God has taught us.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anon June 20, 2011 1:18 PM
You weren't there yourself, what right do you have to question Anon of December 19, 2010 9:41 AM ? Are you implying that the accused is innocent? Do you have any evidence? or reliable sources to support your statements? Ignorant fool, that's what you are. and FYI, there is no such word as evidences, just saying :)

Anonymous said...

It was a very very good justice. Even though they are from the prominent family still justice seved. Hope this kind of punishment will implement again...to reduce the evilness in their minds!! BIG APPLAUSE TO MARCOS GOVERNMENT!

Anonymous said...

Love how ignorant people actually celebrate the bloodthirsty evil dictator Marcos who killed his own people and Ninoy Aquino.

It is always wrong to murder people when they did not commit murder themselves.

Anonymous said...

I was also listening to the live radio coverage of the executions. I distinctly remember the interviews of the death convicts. They were crying and asking for forgiveness but it was too late. The coverage struck me hard. I then said to myself that I will always obey the law. I was 10 years old then. I believe there should be the same coverage of executions for others to learn from the mistakes of others. God bless!

Anonymous said...

Scheming and cynical Marcos wanted to appear as the "tough on crime" president while the biggest criminal was himself--and he would never be condemned in a court of law! He was responsible for the torture and deaths of hundreds of his countrymen, but people overlook this and are diverted instead by trivial zarzuelas such as this MDLR case. Life in prison could make sense for the rapists, but how is the death penalty justified here? Only a people whose thirst for blood was whipped to a frenzy by a bloodthirsty dictator can find capital punishment justified in this case. Shame on everyone involved in this mega-farce.

Big Bee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
H Bratter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
H Bratter said...

This was a sad story and I was not even born yet when this crime happened.

I believe that justice is served on this case.
xxx

Mitch said...

Wow, I know rape really riles up right wingers, but this was a travesty of justice. Sure, maybe these guys did something a little scuzzy, but the true sleaze in this case is de la Riva herself. However unpleasant her ordeal might have been, she showed her true colors by standing in silence as these young men were murdered by a right wing government. If this happened in Canada today, they probably would have gone to jail for five to ten years at most. That's if they even receive a jail sentence. To tell the truth, things would have been better if she had succumbed and the case gone cold. After all, she was at their mercy and is alive and well today, but as soon as they were at her mercy, it was "fire up the chair!" I will drink a glass in their honor when she takes her place in hell.

Anonymous said...

To tell you frankly Mitch, the 3 men who raped Ms. de la Riva deserved every voltage that passed through their bodies. The 4th man who died of drug overdose, well - he was lucky.

By the way, are you a relative of any of the rapists?

Mitch said...

So, Anon, they deserved every "voltage" they received, did they? First of all, you meant to say every volt. Secondly, no. I have no connection to these men, to the "victim," or even to the country. As you my have inferred from my previous post, I'm a Canadian and these guys were almost old enough to be my grandparents. Now that I've answered your question, it's my turn. How do you justify killing somebody who has never killed anyone themselves?

Anonymous said...

Hey Mitch, would you be saying the same thing if you were the one that got raped?

Unknown said...

The punishment didn't fit the crime. Life in prison, maybe, but she was a connected celebrity so the gov had to make an example. Such was the sign of the times. It was a very turbulent era so the gov had make itself look strong.

Genius said...

Y"all naive, liberal, hippies are sickening! How would feel if your mothers, daughters, or wives were raped!

Anonymous said...

crying mommy, mommy when he walked the long walk to the hot chair. Coward....

Anonymous said...

mitch , mitch, you are a human garbage living in the wrong millennium. Your last name, Jose? you must be a cry baby too..

Anonymous said...

I think that was Satan commenting back there hiding under the pseudo name Mitch.

Kurapika said...

H

Kurapika said...

May the souls of those four demon rapist be burned in Hell!!

Anonymous said...

I had read the Maggie dela Riva case and I say, justice has been served!

cyrus' mom said...

i never wish for martial law to return but how i wish for more punitive times like these- bring back death sentence sana..

Darkknight said...

Y'all talking shit this case is long closed and justice was served get over it,its none of your business at all to say what should have and what should have not as these humans are already in the hands of God if you know what I mean.

Darkknight said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

well well good for the 4 young men if it did not happened msny more women suffered

Anonymous said...

I love it when evil cory aquino ordered the mass killings of the Farmers at Mendiola in 1987

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