Revilla clan calls for reinvestigation but police claim their case is solid

The Revilla political clan of Cavite buried their dead, Ramgen Revilla, Wednesday, five days after he was shot and stabbed in his Parañaque home, and urged law enforcers handling the murder case to reinvestigate because they doubt that the two siblings accused of plotting to kill their brother could commit the crime. GMA News’ Lei Alviz said in her reports on Quick Response Team (QRT) and State of the Nation, that Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, speaking for his clan, reiterated his earlier call for investigators to be sure of the credibility of their witnesses. Revilla told reporters during the interment that his family could not believe that Ramgen’s siblings, Ramon Joseph and Ramona, can murder their elder brother. Ramgen, Ramon Joseph and Ramona are half-siblings of Senator Revilla.

The senator said on Tuesday that the statements of the witnesses “should be validated, not taken on face value, alone." The prime suspects' mother stands by her children and claims they are innocent.
Lead role in the investigation is now with the Paranaque City Prosecutor’s Office before which police filed inquest charges of murder and frustrated murder that will prompt the city prosecutor to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if there is probable cause to take the case to court. Parañaque City police investigators stand by the results of their investigation. Although they consider the case closed after having identified Ramon Joseph as the mastermind and Ramona as co-conspirator, they said there are still three suspects at large. Chief Inspector Enrique Sy, head of the task force investigating the Ramgen murder, said they are working on leads that will hopefully lead to the arrest of suspects Norwin de la Cruz and two others with the aliases Bryan and Glaiza. Another witness, the girlfriend of Ramgen Revilla, Janelle Manahan, survived the attack and is currently confined in a hospital. The lead investigator stands by the process and results of their probe. He said the investigation was not done in haste. “Pero ang masasabing lang po natin, ang ginawa naming imbestigasyon ay masusi, thorough, dahan-dahan at metikuloso." Sy said their evidence against Ramon Joseph is strong. “Matibay po dahil meron tayong vital witness na nagsasabi na kasama siya sa pagpaplano dun sa pagpatay at nakita niyang ibinigay ng ating suspect ang pera para pambili ng mga baril na gagamitin sa pagpatay," he said.
Parañaque police have eight witnesses in custody and three have testified against Ramon Joseph. Sy said Rodel Puzon, Michael Altea, and Roy Francis Tolisora gave testimony implicating Ramon Joseph. “Sila po ang nagtuturo na ang nagbigay ng pera kay Brian ay si Joseph." Sy said they will not pursue Ramona Revilla for now and will wait for the next move of the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office. “Hindi kami nagmamadali. Aming ini-exhaust lahat ng means para ma-solve ang kasong ‘to," said the head of Task Force Ramgen. The chief of police of Parañaque City backs up Sy and the results of the investigation.
“I assure you na tiningnan naming ang lahat ng anggulo nito. Every step of the way we’ve been very careful," said Senior Superintendent Billy Beltran. — with Kim Tan/ELR/KBK, GMA News