Maggie de la Riva

Last updated

Contents

Maggie de la Riva
Born
Maria Magdalena Torrente de la Riva

(1942-09-03) September 3, 1942 (age 79)
Philippines
Education Miriam College (elementary and high school)
Saint Theresa's College Manila
Occupation
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1960–present

Maria Magdalena Torrente de la Riva (born in Manila, Philippines; 3 September 1942 [1] ) also known as Maggie de la Riva, is a Filipina film actress and former pageant beauty queen who has appeared in approximately 80 films.

Riva is also widely known for a sexual assault incident in her early career, when she was abducted and raped in 1967 by four men from influential families.

Early life

Maggie de la Riva was born to Pilar Torrente (Spanish mestiza) and Juan de la Riva (German Swiss). [1]

In 1958, Riva completed her elementary and high school at Miriam College (then known as Maryknoll College) and finished secretarial training in 1960 at Saint Theresa's College. In 1963, she was selected as one of the top five finalists for the beauty pageant ‘’Miss Caltex of 1963’’. In that same year, Riva also represented Filipino gowns for the ‘’Fashion Guild of the Philippines’’ under the designer “Millie's Gowns”. In 1964, she was hired as a brand promoter for “Respect the Centavo”, a savings advertisement. Before she became an actress she was a ballet dancer. [1]

As a movie actress, she was paid 8,000 per picture. At ABS-CBN, she performed in radio broadcasts and television shows (₱800 per month in permanent shows, ₱300 per month in live promotional shows, and ₱100–200 per appearance as guest in other shows). She was the sole breadwinner of the family after the death of her father, Juan. Her mother took care of the family. [2]

She first appeared with Joseph Estrada in Istambay (English: Bystander). It was Estrada that gave her a break in becoming a star. Her most memorable role was in Ang Langit Ay Para Sa Lahat, which she considers her best work. She was also a singer and was always a guest in the leading night clubs in Manila. She had her own TV show titled Maggie on ABS 3. She was also a guest artist in Tanghalan sa Darigold and a recurring guest in Tindahan sa Nayon in VG Television Production on MBC 11. [1]

Rape and sexual assault

Maggie de la Riva was a rising young ABS-CBN television star in 1967, when she was abducted, raped and tortured at the Swanky Hotel in Pasay, Philippines.

Dela Riva was going home to New Manila, Quezon City from the ABS-CBN Studios on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay. She was driving her Bantam car, with her chambermaid Helen Calderón, when the four men driving a Pontiac 2-door convertible car, waylaid her by physical force.

The four men in the Pontiac, all coming from influential families, were the following.

Perpetrators
NameAgeInformationOccupationAdditional NotesPhotograph
Jaime Gómez José21
  • Son of José, a prominent doctor from Pampanga and Dolores, a businesswoman from another province in the Philppines
  • Resided at 21 Kalatagan Street, Makati (then part of the Rizal Province until 1975 when it ceded with other cities to form the present-day Metro Manila)
José had finished high school two years prior
  • engineering student of De La Salle University (then called De La Salle College)
  • Leader of a band named "Jaime Jose and the Deltas"
known to be a member of gangs who assaulted celebrities and starlets.
Edgardo Payumo Aquinoa second year journalism student and son of a lawyerJournalism student in his sophomore year
Basilio Pineda, Jr.Son of a retired Makati and Pasay police chief
Rogelio Sevilla CañalSon of a former principalArchitecture student

At approximately 3:00 a.m. on Monday, 26 June 1967, the principal four assailants, along with accomplices Wong Lay Pueng, Silverio Guanzón y Romero and Jessie Guión y Envoltario, having conspired together, forcibly abducted Riva, and brought her to the Swanky Hotel in Pasay. The four assailants, by means of force and intimidation and with the use of a deadly weapon, raped her. After the gang finished, at 6:00 a.m. the following day, they put Dela Riva into a taxi, in front of the Free Press Building near Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and Channel 5 studios.

At home, her mother, her brother-in-law, Ben Suba, and several Philippine Constabulary officers, local policemen and media reporters, were present. Dela Riva told her mother about her ordeal. On 29 June 1967, Dela Riva and her lawyer filed a complaint with the Quezon City Police Department. [2]

Arrest of the assailants, trial, and judgment

Jaime Gómez José was arrested in Makati by undercover police officers disguised as ice cream vendors and carpenters near the subdivision he lived in. During his interrogation, he gave details of the commission of the crime and named Rogelio Cañal, Pineda, and Aquino as his companions. Hearing of his arrest, Cañal and Pineda fled with Aquino to Batangas. A manhunt operation ensued, wherein Cañal and Pineda were tracked down in the municipality of Taal; the two were apprehended by police in a resthouse. Aquino surrendered himself to Aurelia Leviste, the wife of the Governor of Batangas, after three days of hiding.

During the investigation, Pineda maintained the account that they had raped and assaulted Dela Riva as retribution for hitting their car. In addition, he claims to have bribed dela Riva for 1,000 for a striptease, claiming that she willingly complied. The court found the story contemptuous and immediately rendered a guilty verdict with a grand total penalty of ₱40,000 equally split among all four assailants.

On 2 October 1967, the trial Court found the accused; Jaime José, Rogelio Sevilla, RCE/RME, Eduardo Aquino, and Basílio Pineda, Jr. guilty of the crime of forcible abduction with rape under Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, and sentenced each of them to death by electric chair. They appealed the judgement, but lost.

In a per curiam judgment in G.R. No. L-28232 on 6 February 1971, the Supreme Court modified the RTC decision, to declare the following: [2]

"... appellants Jaime G. Jose, Rogelio Sevilla, Basilio Pineda, Jr., and Edgardo P. Aquino are pronounced guilty of the complex crime of forcible abduction with rape, and each and every one of them is likewise convicted of three (3) other crimes of rape. As a consequence thereof, each of them is hereby sentenced to four (4) death penalties; all of them shall, jointly and severally, indemnify the complainant of the sum of ₱10,000 in each of the four crimes, or a total of ₱40,000; and each shall pay one-fourth (1/4) of the costs."

Execution of the accused

The conviction was obtained by Philippine Judge Lourdes San Diego of the Regional Trial Court. Three assailants were executed by electric chair on 17 May 1972, and by direct order of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, while the actual proceedings were broadcast on national radio. [3] Sevilla, the fourth, had died in prison from drug overdose in 1971, a year before the executions. [4]

On the day of their execution, the condemned ate a breakfast of fried chicken with bread and coffee, then had their heads shaved at 10:00. Their last meal was a lunch of rice, kare-kare , chicken tinola, lobster, crispy pata, lechon , fried lapu-lapu, and ice cream. The condemned were stated to have been uncontrollably weeping during a radio interview.

At their execution, Jaime José was the first to enter the death chamber. As he was strapped to the chair, he entered a state of shock after he was sedated. He spent his final moments weeping as his face was covered with a leather mask, his bare feet resting on a wet block of quarry stone. Among the witnesses was his father, José. His mother, Dolores, was at Malacanang Palace for a private audience with the President to appeal for a pardon; Marcos accordingly declined due to the widespread public anger over the incident. José was executed when three prison guards activated switches to the electric chair, of which only one was the live switch. After the initial shock, José was given another application of current after the prison doctor found him to still be alive.

Basílio Pineda, the second to be executed, was forcibly dragged to the death chamber due to a slight commotion. Edgardo Aquino died last. Of the executed, only Aquino appeared to be repentant, and showing remorse for the crime. A prison chaplain, head of the prison guards, and doctor were stated to have heard his last words: "Avoid bad companions and obey your parents".

Aftermath and legacy

The criminal proceedings and execution announcements of each of the accused were broadcast on public radio station DZRH, causing sensationalism and public hysteria. Dela Riva's ordeal pioneered the subject of rape in the Philippines. [5] [6]

The reputed incident was dramatized into the 1994 film The Maggie de la Riva Story (God... Why Me?) . The film starred actress Dawn Zulueta as the titular character. Her niece, singer Ana Rivera, played her sister Medy dela Riva-Suba, while the late Miguel Rodríguez played Jaime José. Dela Riva herself made a cameo appearance in the film.

On 6 March 2017, Dela Riva maintained on Philippine national television that the death penalty should still be a part of the judicial conviction of rape and assault cases. The death penalty had been abolished by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2006.

At present, the Swanky Hotel where the incident occurred still stands, and has since been renamed Galaxy Lodge.

Related Research Articles

Corazon Aquino 11th president of the Philippines

Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino, popularly known as Cory Aquino, was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines, from 1986 to 1992. Corazon Aquino was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People Power Revolution, which ended the two-decade rule of President Ferdinand Marcos and led to the establishment of the current democratic Fifth Philippine Republic.

Pasay City in Metro Manila, Philippines

Pasay, officially the City of Pasay, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people. 

Kris Aquino Filipina talk show host, actress and producer

Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino, better known by her screen name Kris Aquino, is a Filipina TV host, actress, producer, product endorser and businesswoman.

EDSA Limited-access circumferential highway around Metro Manila

Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, namely, from north to south, Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay.

Kapampangan people Austronesian ethnic group

The Kapampangan people, Pampangueños or Pampangos, are the sixth largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines, numbering about 2,784,526 in 2010. They live mainly in the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan and Tarlac, as well as Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Zambales.

LVN Pictures, Inc. is a Filipino film studio that was considered one of the biggest in the history of Philippine cinema and its foremost establishment in motion picture post-production until 2005. In its heyday of motion picture production, LVN Pictures has been compared to that of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) of Hollywood because it had, under contract, the biggest stars and film craftsmen of the period. This was the oldest living film studio in the Philippines running for 68 years.Topic Users

Alberto Pineda Martinez is a Filipino actor, director, and producer.

Capital punishment in the Philippines specifically, the death penalty, as a form of state-sponsored repression, was introduced and widely practiced by the Spanish government in the Philippines. A substantial number of Filipino national martyrs like Mariano Gómez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite, Thirteen Martyrs of Bagumbayan, Fifteen Martyrs of Bicol, Nineteen Martyrs of Aklan and Jose Rizal were executed by the Spanish government. The Spanish practiced widespread and systematic summary executions a dozen to 19 at any given time to ensure tyranny and repression in the Philippines.

Annabelle Huggins is a retired Filipino actress. In 1964 she starred alongside Jack Nicholson in Back Door to Hell, and later became famous when she was kidnapped by jeepney driver Ruben Ablaza.

Guillermo de Vega

Guillermo Cruz de Vega, nicknamed Gimo, was a Presidential Assistant of Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos with the rank of Cabinet Secretary. He was assassinated on October 27, 1975 while working at his office at the Malacañan Palace, the site of the President’s residence and office complex.

Teodoro Locsin Jr. Filipino politician

Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Lopez Locsin Jr. is a Filipino politician, diplomat, lawyer, and former journalist serving as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs since October 2018. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2010, representing the 1st district of Makati and later served as the Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018. He was the host of the editorial segment titled "Teditorial" for ANC's nightly newscast The World Tonight.

Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. 1983 shooting of a former Philippine senator in Manila International Airport

Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., a former Philippine senator, was assassinated on Sunday, August 21, 1983, on the tarmac of Manila International Airport. A longtime political opponent of President Ferdinand Marcos, Aquino had just landed in his home country after three years of self-imposed exile in the United States when he was shot in the head while being escorted from an aircraft to a vehicle that was waiting to transport him to prison. Also killed was Rolando Galman, who was falsely accused of Aquino's murder.

1993 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1993.

Ram Revilla, born Ramgen Jose Magsaysay Bautista and also known as Ramgen Revilla, was a Filipino actor best known for his roles in various Filipino television series including his role as Jeff Gatdula in Tonyong Bayawak. Revilla was murdered on October 28, 2011. He was declared dead on arrival at the Parañaque Medical Center after being shot and stabbed in their family residence. There is no clear evidence about the gunman or the mastermind.

Pepsi Paloma Filipino actress

Delia Dueñas Smith, better known as Pepsi Paloma, was a Filipino-American dancer and actress in the Philippines. She was one of the popular Softdrinks Beauties introduced in the 1980s along with Sarsi Emmanuelle and Coca Nicolas. She was known for films such as Brown Emanuelle (1981), The Victim (1982), Krus sa Bawat Punglo (1982), Virgin People (1983), Snake Sisters (1983), Naked Island (1984), Matukso kaya ang Anghel? (1984) and Room 69 (1985).

Philippine drug war Conflict initiated by Rodrigo Duterte against drug lords and drug pushers

The Philippine drug war is the anti-drug policy and actions of the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, 2016. According to former Philippine National Police Chief and Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the policy is aimed at "the neutralization of illegal drug personalities nationwide".

<i>Pamilya Ko</i> Philippine drama television series

Pamilya Ko is a 2019 Philippine drama television series broadcast by ABS-CBN. Directed by Raymund B. Ocampo, it stars Sylvia Sanchez, JM de Guzman, Arci Muñoz and Joey Marquez. The series aired on the network's Primetime Bida evening block and worldwide via The Filipino Channel from September 9, 2019 to March 13, 2020, replacing Minute to Win It: Last Tandem Standing.

Good conduct time allowance controversy

The good conduct time allowance (GCTA) controversy started in August 2019 involving the employees of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). It begins with Bureau of Corrections Director General Nicanor Faeldon and several other government officials signing the document containing the release of former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez, the prime suspect in the rape and murder of Eileen Sarmenta and her friend Allan Gomez in 1993, and the release of Josman Aznar, Ariel Balansag, Alberto Caño and James Anthony Uy, the 4 suspects in the rape and murder of sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong in 1997, citing "good conduct."

The Maggie de la Riva Story is a 1994 Filipino drama thriller film written and directed by Carlo J. Caparas. The film stars Dawn Zulueta in the title role, along with Miguel Rodriguez, John Regala, Michael de Mesa, Ricky Davao in supporting roles.

Maggie de la Riva, a 24-year-old actress and host, was abducted in front of her home in New Manila, Quezon City on 26 June, 1967 by four men, all of who are sons of influential families, and taken to a motor hotel where she was abused and raped.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Silverio, Julio (1969). Pilipino. Manila: Philippine Free Press. p. 25.
  2. 1 2 3 lawphil.net, G.R. No. L-28232 February 6, 1971, People vs. Jose et al.
  3. David T. Johnson and ; Franklin E. Zimring, The Next Frontier: National Development, Political Change, and the Death Penalty in Asia (Oxford University Press, 2009), p111
  4. "Ateneo De Naga high school 1980: The galant stand of a woman against crime" . Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  5. "Bulatlat - The Philippines's alternative weekly magazine". www.bulatlat.com. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  6. Bocobo, Deany (2006-12-04). "Philippine Commentary: What Nicole Doesn't Know". Philippine Commentary. Retrieved 2019-11-08.