NBI: Ramona no longer in Turkey

Ma. Ramona “Mara” Bautista who, along with her brother Ramon Joseph “RJ,” is accused of masterminding the killing of their older brother Ramgen, is no longer in Turkey.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Interpol chief and lawyer Claro de Castro Jr. said Tuesday they were informed by Interpol Ankara that although Bautista arrived in Turkey at 10:34 a.m. on November 5, she left the country at 4:51 p.m.

“We still have to get information from our counterpart in Turkey as to her destination,” De Castro told the Inquirer.

He added that they were also able to confirm that Ramona’s house in Turkey is located at Pinartepe, Naalesi, in Istanbul.

On November 4, Ramona left Manila for Hong Kong and then took a connecting flight to Istanbul where her husband, a Turkish national, lives.

This was after she and RJ were tagged by a witness as the masterminds in the October 28 killing of Ramgen, allegedly over the P1 million monthly allowance the family was receiving from their father, former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr.

Following RJ’s arrest on October 31, charges of murder and frustrated murder were filed against him, Ramona and five others with the Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274.

Two other suspects—Michael Jay Nartea and Roy Francis Tolisora—have been arrested while Glaiza Visda (not Vista as earlier reported) and Norwin de la Cruz surrendered to authorities Monday.

Another suspect identified only as Bryan remains at large.

Visda and De la Cruz who, according to a witness, were given the task of looking for hired gunmen to kill Ramgen, were supposed to submit their counteraffidavits in court Tuesday although the proceeding was cancelled at the last minute.

In a television interview, Visda denied that she took part in the killing. She claimed that her accusers were only interested in the P500,000 reward earlier offered by Ramgen’s half-brother, Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., for any information leading to the arrest of the former’s killers.