Murder linked to P1-M allowance
Manila — Disagreement over a P1-million monthly allowance from their father, former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr., is being eyed by police as a possible motive in the murder of actor Ramgen Jose Bautista.
Police yesterday arrested the victim’s younger brother, 18-year-old Ramon Joseph “RJ” Bautista in Bacoor, Cavite province, after he attended the wake of his slain sibling.
Authorities said they were looking for four other suspects, including the victim’s sister, Ramona Belen Bautista.
The P1-million allowance was allegedly handled by Ramgen, 23, the eldest among the nine children of the former senator with Genalyn Magsaysay.
RJ was charged with murder for the death of the young actor and frustrated murder for the wounding of the victim’s girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, who was still in critical condition, as of Tuesday.
Ram was stabbed dead inside their home in BF Homes last Oct. 28. Janelle was shot but survived.
RJ was identified by a witness as the one who planned the killing and allegedly hired two professional gunmen to execute the plan, according to Parañaque police Task Force Ramgen headed by Chief Insp. Enrique Sy.
The suspected hitmen identified as Michael Cruz Altea and Roy Francis Tolisoro were arrested on Monday morning, and are now in the custody of the Parañaque police.
The P1-million monthly allowance was for the expenses of the Revilla siblings—namely Ramgen Jose, Ma. Ramona Belen, Ma. Rachelle Anne, Ramon Joshua, Ramon Joseph, Raphael Julius, Reuben Jesse and Ma. Ramblyn Gabriel.
Their mother, Genalyn, has been receiving a separate allowance.
Police investigators said the money angle surfaced after the statement of Ma. Ramona Belen, who said she was abducted by the suspected killers, turned out to be “untrue.” She was, in fact, in BF Subdivision where their family has been residing.
Police arrested RJ Bautista along a national highway in Bacoor, Cavite, close to midnight Monday.
He was on board a black Montero SUV heading home with two other siblings at the time.
“RJ was crying but very calm. We are so shocked with the turnout of events,” said a family member who asked not to be identified.
RJ is a model and business administration student of Enderun Colleges in Taguig City.
It’s all in the family, according to initial police investigation.
The three suspects were brought to the Parañaque Prosecutors’ Office at 2:30 p.m. yesterday where the charge was heard by Assistant City Prosecutor Leah Roma despite the national holiday.
Beltran said Ma. Ramona was included in the charge sheet because it appeared that the sister’s previous statement that she was abducted by the gunmen and was left in Las Piñas was “part of the plan.”
Police filed murder charges against a total of seven suspects.
Sen. Bong Revilla, in a statement, had reservations about the arrest and called for a thorough inquiry.
“We call on the Task Force Ramgen to make sure that the result of the investigation (would) not lead to irreparable damage to the innocent, especially to their family members,” he said.
“We do not believe that he had anything to do with it until it is proven beyond reasonable doubt,” he said in Filipino.
Revilla asked investigators to examine the “credibility” of the other suspects who had tagged Ramon Joseph. ”
The statements should be validated, not taken on face value, alone,” he said.
“Our family is as shocked as everyone,” the senator said. “One is yet to be buried while another one is already being implicated. This is a tragic death made even more tragic by the fact that a family member is being implicated.”
In the end, Revilla said his family would ensure that the real perpetrators would be brought to justice.
“Whoever did this, whoever he is, would be answerable to the law,” he said.
His 84-year-old father Ramon Sr., the former politician-actor, was rushed to Saint Luke’s Hospital yesterday. He had been suffering from a high fever and his blood pressure shot up.
The senator’s son said their father had a fever since Monday night, a condition worsened by RJ’s arrest. From INQUIRER reports
