Lilian Velez

Background

Prior to the outbreak of World World War II, her singing career thrived, and she popularized one of her father"s songs, Sa Kabukiran.

Career

Her 1948 murder by fellow actor Bernardo "Narding" Anzures scandalized post-war Philippines. Her film career began upon the resumption of Filipino film production after the end of the war. Her leading man in these films was Narding Anzures, a former child actor.

After the success of Sa Kabukiran, Licensed Vocational Nursing Pictures decided to cast Jaime de la Rosa as Velez"s leading man in her next film.

The decision caused distress on the part of Anzures, who had seemingly become obsessed with the married Velez. On the night of June 26, 1948, Anzures paid an unexpected visit to the Quezon City home of Velez.

Upon his arrival, he stabbed Velez to death and a housemaid who had come to her mistress"s assistance. The crime was committed within view of Velez"s toddler daughter Vivian, who was unharmed during the incident.

Anzures was promptly arrested, tried and convicted for the murders.

The crime and the subsequent trial was a cause célèbre in Manila. Anzures later died in jail from tuberculosis. His exact motives for the murder were never fully determined.

In 1995, the murder of Lilian Velez was the subject of a high-profile film directed by Carlo J. Caparas.

Starring Sharon Cuneta as Velez and Cesar Montano as Anzures, the film was one in a string of "true-crime" films churned out by Caparas in the early 1990s.Her beautiful daughter Vivian Climaco-Ocampo.

Achievements

• Born in Cebu to a composer, Velez first came into the limelight when she won an amateur radio singing contest in the mid-1930s. Velez also won the heart of Jose Climaco, the manager of the radio station which had sponsored the contest which won her fame.