Senator asks NBI to pinpoint, jail persons circulating Ramgen-Janelle video

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. is asking the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to identify and jail the perpetrators behind the online uploading of an intimate video between his deceased brother Ramgen Bautista and his girlfriend, Janelle Manahan.

“Sobrang pambababoy ang ginagawa nila sa kapatid ko. Karumal-dumal na nga ang pagkamatay ni Ramgen, sinisira pa nila ang pagkatao (What they’ve done to my brother is so vile. Ramgen already experienced a violent death and yet they are still destroying his reputation), Revilla said in a statement on Monday.

“Mas grabe pa ang pambababoy na ginagawa nila kay Janelle. Grabe na ang kaniyang pinagdaanan, at pilit pa nilang niyuyurakan ang pagkababae nito ngayon (They’re even inflicting more damage on Janelle. She has undergone so much suffering, and they still insist on defiling her womanhood),” he added.

The senator also asked the NBI to conduct an investigation and arrest the culprits and prosecute them under the Anti-Voyeurism Law of 2009 (RA 9995), which punishes the unauthorized and unconsented publication and uploading of videos.

Under the law, he said, any person is prohibited from taking photo or video of a person or group of persons performing sexual act or any similar activity or to capture an image of the private area of a person/s such as the naked or undergarment-clad genitals, buttocks or female breast without the consent of the person/s involved.

The law also prohibits any person from copying such photo or video through VCD/DVD, internet, cellular phones and other similar means or device.

“This means that every person who downloads, copies and sends the video is guilty of committing the offense, regardless of whether they were the original uploaders,” the senator, who is a co-author of the law, explained.

The law provides a penalty of  imprisonment  of not less than three years but not more than seven years and a fine of not less than P100,000 but not more than P500,000, or both.

Ramgen was stabbed to death last October 28, 2011, inside his residence in Parañaque City. His girlfriend was also shot during the incident but survived.

Two of Ramgen’s siblings have been implicated and charged for his murder.—Maila Ager