Cops eye obstruction of justice raps vs Ramona Bautista

The Parañaque police are mulling on filing obstruction of justice charges against Ramona Bautista for the conflicting statements she gave to investigators about the death of her brother, Ramgen Bautista. Chief Inspector Enrique Sy, head of Task Force Ramgen, was quoted in a report on GMA News TV's "Quick Reaction Team" (QRT) as saying that Ramona should be charged after she admitted making up the story that she was abducted by Ramgen's killers and dropped off at a shopping mall in Las Piñas. Ramona, 22, said she made up the story out of shame that she left her 23-year-old brother and his girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, at the crime scene. Ramona said left the house so she could get as far away as possible from the killers. Ramgen sustained several stab and incise wounds and a single gunshot wound in the attack. A stab in the chest that pierced his heart caused his death. On the other hand, Janelle survived the attack and is recovering at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City. A week after the Oct. 28 attack, Ramona left the country for Hong Kong, where she reportedly planned to have a connecting flight to Turkey and be reunited with her Turkish husband. As of posting time, however, there has been no confirmed reports that Ramona has arrived in Turkey.

In the same television report, Sy said they have yet to decide where to file the charges since Ramona gave her original statement about the crime before the Las Piñas City police, even as the Parañaque police are currently investigating the crime. Earlier reports quoted Las Piñas police officials as saying that they plan to file separate charges of perjury against Ramona, also because of the retraction she made about her being abducted. Ramona and her 18-year-old brother Ramon Joseph or "RJ" — both half siblings of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. — are facing murder and frustrated murder complaints before the prosecutor's office. RJ, in police custody, has already waived his right for a preliminary investigation. Apart from RJ, also currently detained are two other suspects in the crime, John Michael Nartea and Roy Francis Tolisora, who allegedly carried out the attack upon orders from RJ and Ramona. — with Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News