Maggie de la Riva

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

Riva is also widely known in 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 Dela 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." It was Joseph Estrada that gave her a break in becoming a star. Her most memorable role was "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 Channel 3. She was also a guest artist in "Tanghalan sa Darigold" on Channel 11. She was also a recurring guest in "Tindahan sa Nayon" in VG Television Production on Channel 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 City, Philippines. Riva was going home from the ABS-CBN Studio on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, driving her bantam car with her chambermaid, Helen Calderon 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.

  • Jaime Gomez José (the ringleader) — a popular music band leader and engineering student who was the son of a prominent doctor. Jose was known to be a member of gangs who assaulted celebrities and starlets.
  • Basilio Pineda, Jr. - son of a retired Makati police chief
  • Edgardo Aquino Payumo — a second year journalism student and son of a lawyer
  • Rogelio Sevilla Canal — architectural student and son of a former school principal.

At approximately 3:00 a.m. on 26 June 1967, the principal four assailants, along with accomplices Wong Lay Pueng, Silverio Guanzon Y Romero and Jessie Guion Y Envoltario, having conspired together, forcibly abducted Riva, and brought her to the Swanky Hotel in Pasay City. The four accused, by means of force and intimidation, and with the use of a deadly weapon, raped her.

Inside the second floor room of the Swanky Hotel, Riva was made to sit on a bed, with Pineda and Aquino standing in front of her, and Jose and Cañal sitting beside her. Pineda said, "Mag-burlesque ka para sa amin" (English: "(Dance) nude before us.")

Jose re-entered the room and undressed himself. He pushed her backward and pinned her down on the bed. The four took turns in raping dela Riva and when she went into a state of shock, they poured water on her face and slapped her to revive her. After the gang finished the ordeal, at 6 a.m. they put her in 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. Riva confessed to her mother of her ordeal. On 29 June 1967, Riva with her lawyer, filed a complaint with the Quezon City Police Department. She also submitted to an internal medical examination as supplemental proof of her sexual assault.[2]

Arrest of the assailants, trial, and judgment

Jaime Gomez Jose was arrested in Makati City by undercover police officers disguised as ice cream vendors and school servicemen and carpenters in while Rogelio Canal and Basilio Pineda were apprehended by police authorities in Taal, Batangas. Aquino surrendered himself to Aurelia Leviste, the wife of the governor of Batangas. During the investigation, Pineda maintained the account that they had raped and assaulted Riva as retribution for hitting their car. In addition, he claims to have bribed Riva for ₱1,000 for 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 pesos equally shared among all four assailants.

On 2 October 1967, the trial Court found the accused; Jaime Jose, Rogelio Sevilla, RCE/RME, Eduardo Aquino, and Basilio 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 in the 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 of the Philippines modified the RTC decision, to declare the following:[2]

"... appellants Engr. Jaime G. Jose, Rogelio Sevilla, Basilio Pineda, Jr., and Engr. 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. The first 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 died in prison from drug overdose in 1971, one year before the accused were executed.[4]

The mother of Jaime Jose, Dolores, made a personal appeal to the Malacanang Palace but was accordingly declined due to the sensational public anger about the incident. Of the three executed, Edgardo Aquino appeared to be repentant and showed remorse for his actions. A prison chaplain and doctor were stated to have heard his last words "Avoid bad companions and obey your parents".

Legacy

The criminal proceedings and execution announcements (per head) were broadcast on public radio format DZRH, causing sensationalism and public hysteria. Riva’s ordeal pioneered the subject of rape in the Philippines.[5][6]

The reputed incident formed the basis of re-dramatization of the Philippine film, The Maggie de la Riva Story released in 1994 starring actress Dawn Zulueta as the titular character. Her niece, singer Ana Rivera, played her sister Mitos de la Riva, while the late Miguel Rodriguez played Jaime Jose.

On 6 March 2017, Riva maintained on Philippine national television that the death penalty should still be a part of the judicial conviction of rape and assault cases.

References
  1. Silverio, Julio (1969). Pilipino. Manila: Philippine Free Press. p. 25.
  2. 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.
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