Camp of Janelle Manahan to appeal dismissal of charges vs Ramgen sister, brother-in-law

The camp of Janelle Manahan, girlfriend of slain actor Ramgen Revilla, will be appealing the dismissal of murder and frustrated murder charges against the victim's sister Gail Bautista and her husband, Hiro Furuyama.

"Itutuloy namin, i-aapela namin ito. Yan ang aming plano. In fact, we're now preparing our petition for review before the Department of Justice (DOJ)," Manahan's lawyer Restituto Mendoza said in an interview aired over GMA's Unang Balita on Friday.

 

Gail and Furuyama were implicated in the Oct. 28, 2011 killing of Ramgen, son of former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. and Genelyn Magsaysay. Ramgen was killed inside his home in Parañaque City by a lone assailant who also shot Manahan.  Charged for the killing of Ramgen are his brother, Ramon Joseph “RJ” Bautista and sister Ramona Bautista, who has since fled the country.

 

Also charged for allegedly being involved in the killing are Roy Francis Tolisora, Michael Jay Nartea, Ryan Pastera, Glaiza Visda and Norwin Dela Cruz. Pastera was a close friend of Gail and Furuyama.  

 

 

"Klarung-klaro yun sa statement ni Glaiza Visda na sa aming palagay na nameet yung minimum probable cause," he said, referring to the prosecutor's office resolution saying  “probable cause has not been established” to support the case against the couple.

 

Manahan, during the same interview, said they will not be affected by the setback.

 

"Medyo nakakalungkot and its disappointing but somewhat expected na rin namin pero hindi pa rin naman ako sususko just because of this," she said.

 

But Genelyn Magsaysay, mother of the Bautista siblings, said she hopes this will show that Ramgen's siblings had nothing to do with her son's death.

 

"Natutuwa po ako at nakakita po kami na may justice pa rin po sa Pilipinas," Magsaysay said in a separate interview aired over Unang Balita.

 

"Hindi ko po alam ang magiging proseso sa batas pero kahit papaano naman po siguro ito ay makakapagpaklita ng magpapalinaw na wala po talaga kinalaman sina Gail at si Hiro at ang iba pang mga bata," she added.

 

Magsaysay said the couple are now in Japan trying to look for a job.

 

Restituto and Mahanan, however, said they are confident that the dismissal of charges against the two would not affect the other cases pending against the other suspects.

 

"Wala namang epekto to dun sa overall existing case sa mga nakahabla na ngayon...ang resulta lang di na kasama si Gail at Hiro [sa kaso]," said Mendoza. Janelle to take witness stand

 

He said that they are now on their thrid witness and that in October, Manahan will be taking the witness stand.

 

Manahan, for her part, said she has been ready for a very long time to say her piece.

 

"Hindi ko alam kung tama yung word pero excited na ako mapunta...sa witness stand para masabi ko na lahat ng alam ko and para mas mapalakas yung case against them," she said.

 

Meanwhile, Mendoza said they have called on President Benigno Aquino III to ask the Department of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the return of Ramona from Turkey, which has no extradition treaty with the Philippines. But he noted that they have had no feedback yet.

 

Magsaysay said she hasn't been in contact in Ramona but said her daughter can always contact them through their church.

 

 

 

"Yung suporta po... yung kalinga po, yung pag-aalala, yung pagtatanong kung kamusta na yung anak niya nandodoon sa loob ng kulungan," she said, adding that she feels sorry for her son who should be in college by now if he hadn't been involved in the case.

 

"Ang payat-payat na po nung bata ngayon at kung minsan pag kinakausap po ninyo yung bata teary-eyed po siya pero ayaw po niya ipakita na umiiyak siya kasi gusto niya maging malakas ako...sinasabi niya an mommy you have to be strong for me and my other siblings," she said.

 

"Anak kahit wala kang suporta ng ama mo ngayon kahit di ka niya dinadalaaw nandito ako andito ako at an akong pamilya sa mother's side ko na lalaban tayo anak patutunayan natin na wala tayong kasalanan at ang pamilya natin ang apelyidong dinadala ko ngayon naibigay sakin at pingakaloob sa atin hindi natin pwedeng dungisan," she added. — with Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News