RAMON Joseph “RJ” Bautista, the principal suspect in the murder of actor Ramgen Revilla, was allowed by the court to visit his brother’s tomb in time for the latter’s first death anniversary next week.

Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 Judge Fortunito Madrona on Tuesday granted the motion of Atty. Jeffrey Gepte for RJ’s furlough to be with his family in visiting Ramgen’s tomb in time for his first death anniversary.

In his motion, Gepte said that RJ wanted to be with his siblings and mother, Genelyn Magsaysay in visiting Ramgen’s tomb at the Angelus Memorial Park in Imus City, Cavite on October 28.

However, Madrona only allowed RJ to temporarily leave his detention cell from 12:00 noon of October 28 until 6:00 p.m. and on condition that he should be accompanied by an escort from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology or Parañaque City Jail.

RJ is charged with a non-bailable offense of murder and frustrated murder in connection with the slaying of his brother.

In an interview after the hearing, Magsaysay said that the commemoration of Ramgen’s first death anniversary will be private.

During the hearing, Janelle Manahan became emotional when she took the witness stand to reiterate her testimony linking the Revilla siblings in the murder of her boyfriend.

In her testimony, Manahan shed tears in recounting the occurrences when Ramgen was murdered in his residence in Parañaque City on October 28 last year.

She told the court that Ramgen’s sister, Ramona Bautista was at the vicinity when the murder took place and that the latter was the first to ask for help after Ramgen was shot but Ramona was accused of masterminding Ramgen’s murder where she initially claimed that she was abducted and later released by Ramgen’s killers.

But on November 4 last year, she fled the country after recanting her statement, which raised suspicions among investigators on her alleged involvement in the case.

Janelle further said that after Ramona volunteered to ask for help, the latter did not come back immediately, which prompted her to text her friends for assistance.

She also told the court that there were some instances when the Revilla siblings have differences and in one incident sometime in 2009, Ramgen poked Ramona with a gun during a heated argument.

Because Manahan became more emotional, her lawyer, private prosecutor Resty Mendoza requested the cort to continue the direct examination on November 6.

Manahan’s testimony was vehemently denied by Magsaysay, saying that her children would not plot against each other.

Ramgen is the oldest among the nine children of Magsaysay and former actor and senator Ramon Revilla Sr.