Ramona Bautista denies involvement in Ram Revilla's killing, retracts earlier statement that she was abducted

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines – Maria Ramona Mara Bautista, younger sister of slain screen personality Ram Revilla, maintains she has no participation in the killing of her brother.

Breaking her silence on the matter, Ramona, who's one of the seven suspects charged with murder and frustrated murder (along with her other brother Ramon Joseph “RJ” Bautista), told ANC on Nov. 4 via phone interview, “Malinis po ‘yung konsensya ko.”

She likewise claimed that she tried to help Ram's girlfriend, teen actress Janelle Manahan, who, like her brother, was shot and stabbed in the latter’s own home in BF Homes, Parañaque City last Oct. 28.

“Tinulungan ko rin po si Janelle ng hanggat makakaya ko po. Sigaw po ako nang sigaw, humihingi rin po ako ng tulong, alam rin niya po ‘yan. At kung may nakarinig din po sa’kin, makaka-testify din po ‘yung taong ‘yun,” she said.

While a star witness named Ruel Puzon pointed to Ramon Joseph as the mastermind of the crime, Janelle, who's now in stable condition following the gruesome incident, has seemingly implicated Ramona as an accomplice in her testimony to the Parañaque police, having said that the latter came to Ram's room with a masked, armed man.

“Hindi po totoo ‘yun!” was Ramona’s quick declaration when sought for comment.

Ramona insisted that before the assailant entered Ram’s room, she was having a conversation with the couple about a certain video that her elder sibling would supposedly send her.

In her version of what happened, Ramona said she saw the gunman at the door “tapos bigla na lang po niyang binaril si Janelle—hindi ko nga po alam na nabaril na pala si Janelle eh.”

She further recalled, “Tapos po si Ramgen po ang nagsabi ‘Sino ka? Sino ka? Sino ka?’ Tapos… nilabanan po talaga siya ni Ramgen. Pagkatapos po ng pangyayaring ‘yon, ano po, narinig ko po si Ramgen sabi po niya, ‘Aray!’ Gumanon pa po siya. Tapos after po nun nanghihina na po siguro siya, bumalik po siya sa kuwarto, pagkabalik niya po sa kuwarto, pinilit niya po, ‘yung buong lakas, na isara ‘yung pinto.”

According to the Parañaque police, Janelle also said in her testimony that the assailant only stopped its attack when Ramona exclaimed, “Tama na!”

To this, Ramona sounded appalled in her response, which went: “Ano po? Sabi ko po tama na? Kinausap ko po ‘yung killer? Hindi po, hindi po totoo ‘yon! Hindi ko po kayang gawin ‘yon! Kung nasabi ko po ‘yon hindi ko po natatandaan. Kung may sinabi po akong ‘tama na, tama na po,’ dahil hindi ko na po kayang makita ‘yung mga pinaggagagawa nung tao sa kapatid ko.”

Meanwhile, Ramona confirmed Janelle’s statement that she did not return to Ram’s house after she asked her to call for assistance, confessing that contrary to her earlier statement to the authorities, she was not kidnapped by the attacker.

Fearing for her life and safety, “tumakbo na po ako sa labas,” Ramona said.

“Wala na po ako sa state of mind ko nun. Ang iniisip ko na lang po is magpapakalayo na po ako sa bahay namin kasi ‘yung killer po nandun, hindi ko po alam kung nandun pa po or wala, kasi po wala rin pong nagbigay sa’kin ng saklolo at hindi ko po alam kung mata-trust ko din po ‘yung kahit sinong tao po. Ang alam ko lang po, ang mata-trust ko ‘yung mga kapatid ko po…” she added.

In a tearful voice, Ramona confessed that she had told a different story to the police out of embarrassment for leaving Ram and Janelle.

“Nung narinig ko po na si Janelle ay nakaligtas parang sumama ‘yung loob ko. Iniwan ko lang po sila dun na mamatay eh hindi ko naman po alam na buhay pa po sila... Ang gusto ko lang po iligtas ‘yung sarili ko… Parang nakakahiya naman pong sabihin sa pamilya ko, sa buong mundo, na iniwan ko lang sila basta,” she said.

Despite the allegations questioning her true intentions to her brother, Ramona tearfully said that she owes him her life.

“Si Ramgen po sinagip niya ‘yung buhay ko kaya po hindi ako nasaktan nung gabing ‘yon. Kung hindi po niya nasara ‘yung pinto siguro po pati ako, wala na rin po ngayon. Kaya po utang na utang ko po ang buhay ko sa kapatid ko [at] hindi ko po siya kayang saktan,” said she.

Ramona aired her side of the story following her release from the hospital, where she was confined due to “sobrang stress at tsaka natatakot na rin po ako para sa buhay ko.”

Ramona told ANC that she’s currently staying at a house of a friend. Meanwhile, Atty. Dennis Manzanal, her and RJ’s lawyer, clarified that Ramona is not in hiding. There is also no warrant of arrest for his female client, he added, as reported on GMA-7’s “Unang Hirit” on Nov. 4.

Ram, RJ and Ramona are former actor and Senator Ramon Revilla, Sr.’s children to ex-actress Genelyn Magsaysay; they are half-siblings to actor-senator Bong Revilla, Jr.

source: mb.com.ph