MANILA, Philippines -- Three of the nine suspects in the Ramgen Revilla murder case pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Monday morning, and Ramgen’s girlfriend Janelle Manahan sought the cancellation of the passport of suspect Ramona Bautista, who has fled abroad.
Glaiza Visda, Norwin dela Cruz, and Ryan Pastera pleaded not guilty to murder and frustrated murder at their arraignment at Branch 274 of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court.
Pastera, tagged as the one who contacted the gunman, surrendered last week to the National Bureau of Investigation, and asked the court on Monday that he be allowed to continue staying in NBI custody. The court rejected this motion, so Pastera’s lawyer requested in turn that at least he not be detained along with the other suspects now in jail.
Visda and Dela Cruz were accused of having been present when the murder was planned.
Meanwhile, Manahan, who survived serious head injuries and was virtually left for dead by the assailants of Ramgen after they stabbed and shot him, asked the court to order the revocation of the passport of Ramgen’s sibling Ramona, who fled to Turkey when it became clear she was going to be tagged a suspect.
Ramona is married to a Turkish businessman. She has reportedly fled on to another country, and sent feelers she would only return to face the charges against her if the Department of Justice acts on her petition for a review of the investigation.
She insisted she was not part of the plot to kill her older brother, even though witnesses said she had simply walked away while Ramgen and Janelle lay bleeding. She admitted she lied in saying earlier the assailants abducted her then left her in another place, but she explained she was so rattled and scared over what happened that she could not think clearly and thus left the scene of the crime.
Her younger sibling RJ Bautista is detained.
The pre-trial has been set on March1 for all of the accused.
source: interaksyon.com
