Ma. Ramona “Mara” Bautista Bulbuloglu. BI CCTV /RICHARD REYES
One of the two suspected masterminds in the killing of Ramgen Bautista, his sister Ma. Ramona “Mara” Bautista, submitted her counteraffidavit during Friday’s preliminary investigation of the case at the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office.
The submission of the affidavit through Mara’s mother, Genelyn Magsaysay, coincided with a warning from a lawyer of Janelle Manahan, Ramgen’s girlfriend, that they might ask the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to cancel Mara’s passport should she refuse to return to the country.
Assistant City Prosecutor Leah Roma accepted the photocopied counteraffidavit on the condition that the original copy would be presented to her on or before the next scheduled hearing on Dec. 2.
Magsaysay was accompanied to the Prosecutor’s Office by two of Ramgen’s younger brothers and his sister Ragelyn (“Gail”). She claimed that Mara had attested to the affidavit before the Philippine consul in Turkey, Leilani Feliciano, and assured Roma that the original copy was due to arrive by mail.
Mara is married to a Turkish national.
A manifestation submitted by Magsaysay to Roma stated that on Nov. 18, Mara’s lawyer proceeded to the Philippine embassy in Ankara, Turkey, to have the affidavit authenticated without Mara’s personal appearance by virtue of a special power of attorney. The lawyer cited extreme urgency but the embassy refused to authenticate the document.
Magsaysay also said that on Nov. 24, Mara appeared before Feliciano to attest to her affidavit.
After the preliminary investigation, Magsaysay begged off from media interviews, telling reporters in Filipino: “There is a right time. Everything will be settled. I apologize to all of you.”
Manahan lawyer Luke Espiritu reserved the right to reply or comment to the affidavit. He pointed out that the photocopied document did not bear the original seal of the embassy that would authenticate it.
“Basically, [Mara] indicated in her sworn statement her reaction to [Ramgen’s killing and the attack on Manahan], why she ran away, and her emotional state, to justify her actions,” Espiritu told the Inquirer after a perusal of the copy of the document that was given to him.
He said what was given emphasis in the affidavit was “wala silang awayan sa pamilya (they have no family quarrel).”
Espiritu said the purported conflict among the Bautista siblings was the most probable motive behind the conspiracy to kill Ramgen.
“And the evidence pointing to a conspiracy is very strong,” he said. “We will contest the counteraffidavit and file a comment on Dec. 2. And we will sit down with Janelle to refute [Mara’s] allegations.”
Espiritu’s co-counsel, Gilbert Espinosa, told the Inquirer that they would be submitting Manahan’s sworn statement that would relate the events before and after the attack on her and Ramgen that might have a bearing on the case.
Espinosa said that while Manahan was lying on the floor after being shot, she heard one of the suspects making a number of phone calls—which, he said, would not be expected of anyone whose relative had just been killed. “That would be included in her affidavit,” he said.
He also said it would be the first time that Manahan would be making a sworn statement because at the time her initial statement was taken by police for investigation purposes, she was still fighting for her life and only provided basic information on the attack.
Asked about Manahan’s condition, Espiritu said his client was getting better although she still wore a brace around her face. “She can speak already but only for a limited period of time,” he said.