MANILA, Philippines—It’s all in the family, according to initial police investigation.
Ramon Joseph “RJ” Bautista, 18 (not 22 as earlier reported), the younger brother of Ramgen Jose Bautista (a.k.a Ram Revilla), was arrested early Tuesday morning in Bacoor, Cavite, for the killing of Ramgen but police added that as of Tuesday, they were also hunting down four other suspects, including Ramgen’s own sister, Ramona Belen Bautista.
Ramon Joseph, or RJ, was nabbed by police minutes after he attended the wake of his slain brother.
RJ was charged with murder for the death of 23-year-old Ramgen (who had worked as an actor) and frustrated murder for the wounding of the victim’s girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, who was still in critical condition, as of Tuesday.
RJ was identified by a witness to have planned the killing and to have hired two professional gunmen to execute the plan, according to Parañaque police Task Force Ramgen.
Parañaque police created the task force headed by the Investigation Unit head, Chief Inspector Enrique Sy, and the arrests were done by the Intelligence Unit chief, Insp. Fergen Torred.
RJ allegedly hired two professional gunmen identified as Michael Cruz Altea and Roy Francis Tolisoro, who are now in the custody of the Parañaque police.
Altea and Tolisoro were arrested on Monday morning in San Dionisio, Parañaque.
The three suspects were taken to the Parañaque Prosecutors’ Office at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, where the charge was heard by Assistant City Prosecutor Leah Roma despite the national holiday.
According to Senior Superintendent Billy Beltran, the Parañaque police chief, the Task Force Ramgen is still hunting down four more suspects, including Ramgen’s own sister, Ramona Belen Bautista.
Beltran said Ramona was included in the charge sheet because it appeared that the sister’s previous statement that she was abducted by the gunmen and was left in Las Piñas was “part of the plan.”
RJ is a model and business administration student of Enderun Colleges in Taguig City.
RJ, Ramgen and Ramona are the children of former senator Ramon Revilla Sr. with Genelyn Magsaysay.