2 'middlemen' in Revilla murder to testify

MANILA, Philippines - A couple accused of being middlemen in the murder of Ram Revilla will testify in the preliminary investigation to establish the alleged involvement of the actor’s younger sister, Gail Bautista, and her husband, Hiro Furuyama, in his death.

According to lawyer Argee Guevarra, their camp asked the investigating prosecutor to subpoena Norwin de la Cruz and girlfriend Glaiza Visda because “we needed to establish their relations with the Furuyama spouses related to the murder conspiracy.”

Guevarra said Visda and De la Cruz’s testimonies will “substantiate (the) Furuyama(s) participation and authorship of crime with RJ and Ramona (Bautista).”

Furuyama’s lawyer Gerry Alberto joined Guevarra’s motion. “We are also after the truth,” Alberto said.

Alberto is also a lawyer for De la Cruz, while Guevarra is a lawyer of Revilla’s girlfriend, Janelle Manahan – who was shot in the face when the actor was attacked in his family’s house in BF Homes, Parañaque on Oct. 28, 2011.

RJ and Ramona, are the principal suspects of the seven accused in the murder of their eldest brother, whose real name is Ramgen Bautista.

Manahan also charged the seven accused with frustrated murder. She is also the complainant in the supplemental affidavit seeking to include the Furuyamas in the murder and frustrated murder case.

De la Cruz and Visda were supposed to sit down before Assistant City Prosecutor Ramil Reyes yesterday for clarificatory questioning. The proceeding was postponed after the prosecutor’s office failed to subpoena the accused. Reyes served in place of Assistant City Prosecutor Bert Fabros, who is the one supposed to preside over the preliminary investigation.