MANILA, Philippines – Genelyn Magsaysay’s posts on social networking sites alleging unfair treatment of her children by former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr. is an attempt to distract investigators and muddle the ongoing investigation into the death of her son, Ramgen Bautista.
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. made this allegation in a hastily called press conference Saturday night where he also urged the Philippine National Police not to hesitate in seeking the “truth no matter who gets hurt.”
“Let’s not change the topic,” the senator said, shaking his head at a question about Magsaysay’s charges that Revilla Sr.’s legitimate offspring were treating her children shabbily, especially when it came to money.
“Let’s face the issue of the murder case [of Ramgen Bautista] and the murder attempt on his girlfriend Janelle [Manahan]. Besides, I don’t think napapabayaan sila [they are being neglected],” Revilla Jr. said, referring to Magsaysay’s children.
In his prepared statement, the senator admitted that his decision not to prevent investigators from taking his half-brother Ramon Joseph Bautista or RJ for questioning earned him Magsaysay’s ire.
“Ang hindi ko pagpigil sa PNP na arestuhin si RJ ay nagresulta ng matinding galit sa akin ng kanyang ina na si Genelyn subali’t ako’y naninindigan na walang dapat pumigil sa isinasagawang imbestigasyon ng pulis” (My decision not to stop the PNP from arresting RJ angered his mother Genalyn but I am firm in my resolve that no one should stop the police investigation), the statement said.
He said, however, that the Revilla clan would welcome the PNP’s findings “no matter who gets hurt”.
“On the part of the PNP, I am appealing to you to do your job according to your mandate as law enforcers. No one can stand in the way of the law,” Revilla said in Filipino.
He also asked the Department of Foreign Affairs “to exert legal and diplomatic efforts to bring Ramona back to the country and face our justice system.”
Revilla said the family remained clueless as to Bautista’s whereabouts following reports, which the immigration bureau confirmed, that she wrote Istanbul as her final destination when she boarded a Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight Friday night.
The senator added that Bautista’s alleged escort at the Terminal I of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was not a member of his or his father’s staff.
“Definitely that escort did not come from us,” he said.