‘Cain and Abel’ tale stuns show town

RAM REVILLA’s Twitter profile photo

Show town is stunned by the twists and turns in the murder of actor Ramgen Bautista (aka Ram Revilla).

Investigations have taken a “biblical” turn, transforming the murder case into a modern “Cain and Abel” story, as siblings RJ and Ramona Bautista are implicated in a conspiracy.

Show biz insiders say that Ram was among the favorites of the father, former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr., especially because he looked like the latter during the actor-turned-politician’s younger years.

“It’s true. Ram is the favorite,” Lolit Solis, TV host and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s manager, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“The family members feel that Senator Ramon Sr. got depressed over Ram’s death. That’s why his blood pressure shot up,” Solis said. “It’s a triple tragedy.”

Solis said that with Ram scheduled to be buried Wednesday at the Angelus Eternal Garden in Imus, Cavite, “Senator Ramon Sr. is still in hospital.”

“It’s sad because you can see and feel how close the Revilla clan is,” she said.

Said Representative Lani Mercado, wife of Revilla Jr.: “I think Daddy (Revilla Sr.) and Ramgen last saw each other two weeks ago … during the birthday party of my husband.”

Solis concurred, saying: “Ram saw Bong and his family often because Ram considered Bong his favorite kuya (elder brother).”

Actor Phillip Salvador, a friend of Revilla Jr., called for prayers for the family. “They are going through difficult times,” he said.

Mercado told the Inquirer via SMS: “We need all your prayers.”

‘Sweet boy’

Mark Shandii Bacolod, who directed RJ Bautista in the indie film “Fidel” in 2009, told the Inquirer that the latest developments in the case had left him “speechless.”

“RJ is a sweet boy,” Bacolod recalled. “He’s candid and soft-spoken. We laughed all the time on the set.”

“He played the younger brother of [lead actor] Lance Raymundo in my first film as director. It was Lance who told me about it. I still can’t believe what happened,” Bacolod said.

The director Bacolod expressed admiration for the young man’s professionalism: “He was always there to support our indie film. He attended screenings whether in SM malls or schools.”

Bacolod said he could not picture RJ as a murder suspect. “I always thought of him as someone who wouldn’t even harm a cockroach. He never showed violent tendencies and was friendly during our shoot,” the director said.

Teen actress

RJ Bautista was an aspiring actor and model, like his murdered brother.

Their mother, Genelyn Magsaysay, was also an actress in her teen years and went under the screen name Jenny Lyn.

In the 1980s, she was in the cast of movies like “Galema” (the sequel of “Zuma”), “Bobocop” and “Daddy’s Little Darlings.”

“She joined the TV show ‘That’s Entertainment’ in 1986,” said German Moreno, who hosted the youth show. “Genelyn used to call me, to ask help for her son’s career. I got Ram to guest in my show.”