GMA News - The police on Wednesday declared as closed the murder case of aspiring actor-politician Ramgen "Ram" Revilla after investigators tagged the victim's brother and sister as responsible for the crime.
"Opo. Na-solve na po ‘yung kaso, nalutas na," Chief Inspector Enrique Sy, head of the task force looking into the killing, told GMA News Online in a phone interview Wednesday.
Two of Ram Revilla’s siblings — Ramon Joseph "RJ" Bautista, 18, and Ramona Bautista, 21 — were slapped with murder and frustrated murder charges for the killing of their brother and the failed killing of his girlfriend Janelle Manahan.
Ram Revilla, half brother of Sen. Ramon “Bong" Revilla Jr. and son of former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., and his girlfriend Janelle Manahan were attacked in his Parañaque City home on Friday, Oct. 28. Manahan survived.
Quoting witness Roel Puzon, police said that RJ masterminded the plan to murder Ram and that Ramona conspired with him to execute it. RJ is in police custody while Ramona is still at-large.
"Matibay po [ang ebidensya] dahil mayroon tayong vital witness na nagsasabi na kasama siya [RJ] sa pagpaplano sa pagpatay at nakita niyang [Puzon] ibinigay noong ating suspect ang pera para pambili ng mga baril na gagamitin kay Ramgen… sa pagpatay," Sy said in a separate interview aired over GMA News TV's “Quick Response Team" (QRT) on Wednesday.
He said they have no witnesses tagging Ramona to the crime but that circumstancial evidence, including her alleged fabricated story of being abducted by the killers, led the police to conclude that she was involved in the crime.
"I assure you na tiningnan natin ang lahat ng angulo nito. Every step of the way we've been very careful. Lahat ng impormasyong pumasok sa amin ay talagang tiningnan namin," Sr. Supt. Billy Beltran, head of Parañaque Police, said in another interview aired over QRT.
Also charged along with the Revilla siblings were Michael Altea and Roy Francis Tolisora, who were earlier arrested by the police. Sy noted that the two admitted breaking into Ram's house.
"Sila po ang nagtuturo na ang nagbigay ng pera kay Bryan ay si Joseph," said Sy.
Three other suspects, identified as Norwin de la Cruz and two others with the aliases Bryan and Glaiza, are still at-large.
Police earlier said they have suspended the hunt for Ramona because jurisdiction over the case is now in the hands of the prosecutor.
"Alam na po ng ating mga operatiba kung nasaan sila, ‘yung mga pinaglalagian nila. At anytime na dumating po ‘yung warrant of arrest ay kukunin po natin kaagad sila," said Beltran.
The remains of Ram were laid to rest before 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Angelus Eternal Garden in Imus, Cavite, said GMA reporter Lei Alvis.
She said that Ramona and Revilla Sr. did not show up for Ram’s burial. Revilla Sr. was rushed to the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City on Tuesday after RJ was taken into police custody.
After the burial, Alviz said Sen. Revilla called on the police to reinvestigate the case because the family cannot believe that RJ and Ramona supposedly committed the crime.
The senator reportedly said, if it is proven that the siblings were involved, the family would have no choice but to follow the rule of law.
Sy said the police was open to a reinvestigation but that their investigation was very "thorough" and not rushed.
"Hindi kami nagmamadali. Mausi po at in-exhaust ang lahat ng means para ma-solve ang kaso na ito," he said. — VS, GMA News
