The feuding in the Revilla family just got bigger. In a statement dripping with rage, the mother of the late Ramgen Revilla, half-brother of Sen. Ramon “Bong" Revilla Jr., accused the senator on Sunday of using her son’s murder case to serve his political ambitions. "Nakakalungkot. Malayo pa po ang eleksyon. Bakit napakaaga ng kampanya?" said Ramgen’s mother, Genelyn Magsaysay, in reference to Sen. Revilla, who said on Friday that the flight of her daughter Ramona to Hong Kong is a “sign of guilt" in the murder of Ramgen, who was nicknamed Ram. "Mahiya naman kayo. Simpleng tao lamang po ako. Ano po ba ang laban ko sa isang malaking pulitiko?" she said as she stared into the camera on GMA News TV’s “Balitanghali" newscast. Magsaysay is now caught in the middle of what appears to many as a Cain-and-Abel case that implicates two of her children – Ramona and Ramon Joseph – in the murder of Ramgen, 23, her eldest son with former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. She has been insistent that Ramgen's younger siblings had nothing to do with the crime, despite Ramona's sudden flight out of the country Friday. Bong Revilla said that made many believe she was guilty and called on her mother to persuade her daughter to come home and face the charges. "Namatayan na nga ako, bigla na lang may nag-file ng kaso at ang mga anak ko ang itinuturo. Nakikiusap po ako – huwag na po ninyo sanang gamitin ang pagkamatay ng aking anak na si Ramgen para sa kung anu-anong publicity," she added.
Ramgen was shot and stabbed inside his Parañaque City home on the night of Oct. 28. His girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, survived the attack and has told investigators how masked gunmen entered the house that night minutes after she opened the door for Ramona. In a sworn statement, Ronaldo Ancajas, Ramgen’s stay-in personal assistant, said Ramgen and his siblings, RJ and Ramona, had not been on speaking terms for the past several months due to a disagreement over money, reportedly the hefty allowance for the family from patriarch Ramon Revilla Sr., who became rich through a long movie career. In an October 9 status update on her Facebook wall, Genelyn Magsaysay revealed clues to the family's desperation and financial straits: "I pray for our finances. They are pushing us to the limit. I'm trying to cope, my children are the ones holding our allowance. I'm always the one making
abono, they cut off our allowance but they are the ones living luxurious living. They have luxurious cars and houses." She did not state who "they" were. Magsaysay said that despite their differences, her children would not resort to murder as she raised them to be God-fearing people. Ramona has since fled the country while RJ, 18, is in police custody. The two are facing murder and frustrated murder charges. Both were seen casually walking near the scene of the crime after Ramgen and Janelle were attacked.
Bong to Magsaysay: Bring Ramona back In a separate report on “Balitanghali," Sen. Revilla said he has chosen to shrug off Magsaysay’s allegation that he is using Ramgen’s murder case for publicity. He also challenged Genelyn to address problem squarely instead. On Saturday, Sen. Revilla told Magsaysay
to make her daughter Ramona return to the Philippines to face the allegations against her. “
Pabalikin mo ang anak mo," the senator told Magsaysay in a live phone interview on GMA Network’s “Startalk." “
Hindi ako naniniwala na hindi mo alam." Sen. Revilla has already asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Philippine National Police (PNP) to exert efforts to bring Ramona back to the country to face the charges against her. The DFA said it will cancel Ramona's passport once it gets a court order. "Once the DFA gets a court order, we will cause the cancellation of her passport so her movement is restricted and the Interpol mechanism may be explored to cause her return to the country," said DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez in a brief statement on Sunday. Hernandez noted that the Philippines can invoke its extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties with several countries to help locate as well as cause the return to the country of persons evading criminal charges or punishment. "The DFA works closely with the DOJ (Department of Justice) on this matter to ensure that justice is served," he said. Bureau of Immigration officials earlier said Ramona
is likely on her way to Turkey, with which the Philippines has no extradition treaty.
Palace: It's a law enforcement issue Malacañang, meanwhile, said it is not intervening in the search for Ramona and is leaving the investigation to the PNP. “Primarily it’s a law enforcement issue, we will leave that to the PNP
kung anong susunod na hakbanging gagawin nila," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told government-run dzRB radio on Sunday. Valte said Malacañang has so far been getting updates on the investigation from the police as part of normal updating for the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Office of the President. She said the PNP will contact the DFA for help in working with the concerned international agencies in tracking down Ramona if the need arises. "The police know
paano makipag-coordinate sa international agencies
kung kakailangan ng tulong," Valte said.
— KBK/HS, GMA News 
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
