Ram Revilla siblings not involved in his killing — mom

(Updated 2:15 p.m.) The mother of slain actor-politician Ramgen "Ram" Revilla on Wednesday denied that her two other children were involved in the murder of their brother. "May mga differences kami sa bahay namin, oo meron, pero hindi kayang gawin ng mga anak ko na patayin ang sarili nilang kapatid," an emotional Genelyn Magsaysay said in a report aired over GMA News TV's "Balitanghali". Two of Ram’s siblings — Ramon Joseph "RJ" Bautista, 18, and Ramona Bautista, 21 — have been slapped with murder and frustrated murder complaints for the killing. Ram Revilla, 23, half-brother of Sen. Ramon “Bong" Revilla Jr. and son of former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., was attacked in his Parañaque City home last Friday, Oct. 28. His girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, was likewise attacked but survived the incident. Magsaysay has nine children with Revilla Sr., with Ram as the eldest. Quoting witness Rodel Puzon, police investigators said RJ had masterminded the plan to murder Ram and that Ramona conspired with him to execute it. RJ is in police custody while Ramona was still at-large as of Wednesday afternoon. Also implicated in the crime were Michael Altea and Roy Francis Tolisora, who are already in police custody. Three other suspects, identified as Norwin de la Cruz and two others with the aliases Bryan and Glaiza, are still at-large. In the “Balitanghali" interview, Magsaysay said she raised her children as God-fearing people. "Hindi ko sila pinalaki para magpatayan, hindi ko sila pinalaki para maging bastos sila. Church kid si Ram Revilla, church kids ang mga anak ko," she said. Ram Revilla's interment was scheduled Wednesday afternoon in Imus, Cavite.
Search for Ramona suspended Police, meanwhile, have suspended their search for Ramona, whose location has yet to be verified. But Chief Inspector Enrique Sy, head of the task force looking into the killing, said Ramona will not be arrested even if she attends the victim's funeral. "Hindi na po (aarestuhin), ang jurisdiction sa prosecutor na. Kami wala nang jurisdiction para arestuhin kasi nakasampa na ang kaso," Sy said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the only thing they can do now is to monitor Ramona's whereabouts so they will know where to find her if a court issues a warrant for her arrest. Police said Ramona conspired with RJ, pretending to have been kidnapped by the suspects who killed their brother. But their grandmother, Laddielyn Madrigal, had earlier defended her grandson, saying she does not see any motive for RJ to mastermind his own brother's killing. No money angle Sy, in a separate phone interview with GMA News Online, denied media reports that the Revilla siblings plotted the murder of Ram because of a feud over the alleged P1-million monthly allowance they receive from Revilla Sr., who was an actor before he became a politician. "Hindi po nanggaling sa police yun. We deny anything about the P1 million," he said. A Philippine Daily Inquirer report had earlier quoted police investigators as saying that a disagreement over the allowance could be the motive behind the plot to murder Ram. Sy explained that the only money involved in the crime was the P200,000 allegedly paid by RJ to the hired killers and the P19,000 downpayment given to them. "Wala pong ganun (P1 million) sa testimony ng witness," he said. Asked what could be the real motive behind the killing, he said they are still looking into the personal feud angle. "Basta ang alam namin personal na alitan. Panganay yata si Ramgen, siya yata paborito," he said. Revilla Sr. was brought to the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City right after his son JR was questioned by the police in connection with Ram's murder. He is now in stable condition but would not be able to attend Ram's funeral. - KBK, GMA News