Credit to: Jon Carlos Rodriguez, abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.
said on Friday that the departure of his half-sister Ramona Bautista
from the Philippines is a sign of guilt.
Revilla said Ramona, who has been tagged by police as one of the
suspects in the murder of her own brother, aspiring actor-politician
Ramgen Bautista Revilla, should have faced the investigation instead of
leaving the country.
“I was shocked just like everyone. Talagang hindi kami makapaniwala.
Itong pag-alis niyang ito is a sign of guilt. Hindi siya dapat umalis.
Dapat hinarap niya itong imbestigasyon kung talagang siya ay hindi
guilty,” Revilla told ABS-CBN’s “Bandila.”
Ramona boarded a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 1 Friday evening.
She was seen being escorted by a male individual at the departure
area of NAIA terminal 1 as early as 6:20 p.m, and immediately proceeded
to the check-in counter with an unidentified male escort with access
inside the airport.
“Ang dapat malaman natin ngayon kung sino ang nagpaalis sa kanya at
kung sino ang nag-escort sa kanya at kung ano ang ginawa ng kapulisan
kung bakit siya nakaalis,” said Revilla.
'A bad sign'
The senator said Ramona’s departure is a bad sign, since her brother
Ramon Joseph has also been identified by police as one of the suspects
in the crime.
“Sa ginawa ng kapatid niya, this is a bad sign. I don’t know, pero
hindi maganda ang ginawa ng kapatid niya. Parang lalo niyang inipit ang
kapatid niya sa ginawa niyang ito [na pag-alis],” he said.
“Bakit siya magsisinungaling? Bakit siya tatakas? Siyempre masakit sa amin ito, but we have to accept it,” Revilla added.
Revilla also revealed he is not in good terms with Genelyn Magsaysay,
the mother of Ramona and Ramon Joseph, for turning over the latter to
authorities.
“Si Genelyn galit sa akin dahil kung bakit i-turnover si [Ramon]
Joseph sa kapulisan. Sabi ko kung wala naman siyang dapat ikatakot,
harapin niya ang imbestigasyon. Kaya ‘yung nanay, masama ang loob sa
akin.”
“Wala akong magagawa. I am not a senator of the Revilla family, I am a
senator of this country. Ako maninindigan lang ako sa tama,” he added.
Revilla said he instead asked police to treat Ramon Joseph fairly and to protect his safety.
“Sabi ko, siguraduhin niyo lang na pagmagsasalita ang bata ay kaharap
na abogado and that he is safe. Wala tayong tinatago. Kung talagang
hindi guilty ang bata, harapin nila ang mga hinaharap na kaso,” he said.
Headed for Turkey?
Meanwhile, Aldy Pagulayan, spokesperson of Senator Revilla, said Friday midnight that Ramona is already married.
“Ang alam ko, may asawa na [si Ramona],” he told radio dzMM.
According to sources, Ramona’s husband lives in Turkey. Pagulayan, however, said he cannot comment on the matter.
Pagulayan said the Revilla clan is conducting a parallel investigation.
“That would be for the PNP to investigate and for us to find out as
well. Pero I cannot give a categorical statement regarding that, kung
nasa Turkey na siya ngayon. The information that we have right now is
the same as what the media has. We are conducting our own parallel
investigation kasabay ng pag-iimbestiga ng kapulisan natin,” said
Pagulayan.
Justice for Ramgen
Revilla said he was only doing what is right, regardless if the
suspects are family members. “Hindi natin ito-tolerate ang mga ganitong
gawain, basta tayo ay manindigan sa tama. The rule of law must prevail.
Justice for my brother and the guilty must be punished.”
He said that if Ramona is indeed guilty of the crime, she must face the consequences.
“Hindi namin siya mapapatawad dahil ang namatay ay kapatid namin.
Kahit kapatid din namin [si Ramona] dapat niyang panagutan ito,” said
Revilla.
Revilla also clarified that Ramona was never in his custody, contrary to earlier reports.
“The last time I saw her was nung nahuli si [Ramon] Joseph. Ni hindi
siya um-attend ng funeral ni Ramgen. She was never in my custody. Never.
Nakasama ko lang si Ramona noong gabi na nasa Las Piñas police station
siya [last week],” he said.
'Rule of law must prevail'
In Revilla's official statement read by Pagulayan over dzMM on
Saturday, the senator said, "Ramona's flight is a sign of guilt that she
has knowledge and direct participation in the commission of the crime."
He said that if his siblings are indeed involved, they would have to
face the "full force and weight of the law and suffer the penultimate
consequences of their involvement as principal accomplices or
accessories as the case may be."
"I will do everything within my power as a public servant that the
rule of law must prevail and justice must be served whoever gets hurt,"
the senator said.
Police have theorized that the P1 million money that the Revilla
patriarch gives to Ramgen for the family's upkeep was one of the reasons
for the sibling rivalry. Sen. Revilla has said Ramgen was Don Ramon's
"favorite."
Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/04/11/bong-revilla-ramonas-flight-sign-guilt