Right now, I feel that no amount of informal explanation from Ramona Bautista can convince the many who already think that she had a hand in the killing of her brother, Ramgen Bautista. Ramgen is the eldest son of former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. from another woman, Genelyn Magsaysay. This makes her Sen. Bong Revilla's half-sister, or paternal sister, however anyone wants to see it. Ramgen was found dead in his home in Parañaque. Stabbed and shot, as if to make his death certain, and if I may add, personal, Ramgen's death has put the whole Revilla clan on the spotlight, albeit in not so flattering circumstances. Two siblings of Ramgen - Ramon Joseph and Ramona - are now prime suspects in his murder. RJ is in police custody, while Ramona is believed to have flown to Turkey via Hong Kong. And no matter how one sees it, leaving the country in the middle of an ongoing crime investigation does not do anything good for Ramona's defense, especially if she is a prime suspect. Even worse, she has left RJ to fend for himself.
I really find it amusing to hear that the reason for her hastily and almost clandestine exodus from the country was to avoid the media, when she left a recording of what she had to say about the murder, claiming innocence. She implicated Ramgen's personal assistant, who happened to see her and RJ leaving the house casually. This all, but shredded Ramona's story that she was taken by Ramgen's killers and dumped at a mall in Las Piñas! She has since retracted that, saying she wasn't thinking straight. Funny how detailed the abduction was from a person who was not thinking straight! If anything, this retraction has raised the eyebrows of so many!
And then this sneaky exit from the country. A hold-departure-order was not sought fast enough to prevent her from doing just that. Since she is apparently married to a Turkish national, it is believed by many that she has now flown to Turkey. And as you would have it, there is no extradition treaty with Turkey! I am so reminded of O.J. Simpson, in his famous Bronco ride thorough the streets of Los Angeles, also claiming innocence in the death of his wife. He was acquitted in a court, but many still believe he got away with murder. Anyway, I digress.
The investigation should definitely continue. This is a crime, no matter whose family is involved. I commend Sen. Bong Revilla for standing firm in seeking justice, no matter who is involved, no matter who is implicated. The guilty must be punished, period. And it should be. This flight of Ramona only strengthens the initial findings of the police. Further investigations will eventually reveal the motive or the reason why such a crime was committed. Much to the dismay of the Revilla clan, this may turn out to be sibling rivalry at its worst.