(The Chiong sisters and the Chiong 7 Case)

A Activity Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements in Criminal Law and Jurisprudence 1
(Introduction to Philippine Criminal Justice System)

Second Semester, SY 2021-2022

Submitted to:

Instructor

Submitted by:

Student

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 INTRODUCTION: On July 16, 1997, two Chiong sisters went missing. Larranaga was one of
them, along with six other suspects, who were named by David Russia, the state witness. David
Russia is a convicted felon who was twice sentenced to jail for other offenses in the United
States. He was with Larranaga in Ayala Center, Cebu early in the evening of July 16, as Russia
said, that evening Larranaga says he was with his friends at R&R Restaurant in Quezon City; this
fact was proved by photographs and his friends' testimonies. At the Center for Culinary Arts
(CCA) in Quezon City, the defense presented thirty-five witnesses, including Larranaga's
teachers and classmates, who all testified under oath that Larranaga was in Quezon City when
the crime was said to have taken place in Cebu. These testimony were found insignificant by
the trial court, ignored as coming from "friends of the accused," and were not accepted. The
trial court at that time was not competent enough to find the real culprit in the scenario
because of bribery, connections and the like.

During the Chiong murder case, this unexpected occurrence was shown in the film to be part
of the whole scheme of accusing Larranaga and concealing the facts about the murder and rape
of the Chiong sisters. Larranaga was sentenced to death, along with the other co-accused, and
appealed later, but they were all rejected. Considering Larranaga's Filipino-Spanish nationality,
his family asked the Spanish government for help. However, the mother of the Chiong Sisters’
appealed that when someone who committed a crime in the

Philippines, must serve their crime in the Philippines and that is a reason why

Larranaga and the other convicts served their imprisonment in New Bilibid Prison. However,
because of the good behavior that Larranaga showed, he was then transferred to Madrid
Penitentiary at Soto del Real.

Therefore, Larranaga and the other convicts did not have the favourable judgement that they
deserve because of the different factors such as unjust system, lack of evidences and the like.

DISCUSSION: The Philippine Government has organized and established institutions which
serve to maintain peace and order. These institutions are responsible for preventing crimes,
enforcement of laws, and apprehension and prosecution of those who violate the law. If the
courts of law find them guilty of committing a crime, they shall be confined in order for those
people to be rehabilitated and to be reintegrated into the community as law abiding citizens.

These institutions organized by the Government have incorporated themselves in order to

establish Criminal Justice System. This system is composed of: the Law Enforcement,
Prosecution, Court, Corrections and the Mobilized Community. Law Enforcement effects the
arrest of those people who violated the law. The Prosecution considers the background to
determine whether the person arrested for violating a law should be prosecuted. The Court is
the cornerstone of the system wherein it determines whether the person charged with a
criminal offence is guilty or not.

Civil code procedures on family and property and the absence of jury trial were attributable to
Spanish influences, but most important statutes governing trade and commerce, labor
relations, taxation, banking and currency, and governmental operations were of United States
derivation, introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century. Most of the laws, official

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 notices and court decisions, including those by the Supreme Court, are in English. Even the
Constitution is published more often in English than Tagalog. The bar exams are in English.

The basis of the legal code is primarily Spanish and Anglo-American law.
Islamic law applies among Muslims in portions of the southern Philippines. According to the
constitution, those accused of crimes have the right to be informed of the charges against
them, to be represented by counsel, and to have a speedy and fair public trial. Defendants also
enjoy the presumption of innocence and have the right to confront witnesses, present
evidence, and appeal convictions. However, the judiciary is said to suffer from corruption and
inefficiency, which at times undermine the provision of due process and equal justice. As a
result, the Supreme Court has undertaken a five-year program to speed up the judicial process
and crackdown on corruption. [Source: Library of Congress, 2006]

CONCLUSION: The Criminal Justice System is designed to deliver “justice for all” this means that
we need protecting the innocent, convicting criminals, and providing a fair justice process to
help keep order across the country. In other words, it keeps out citizen safe.

Recommendation: Keep the citizen safe, be fair and effective policing practices.

Arrest those people who violated the law and stop the corruption.

REFERENCE: https:www.unafei.or.jp. https://www.refwprld.org

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