Janelle connects dots in Ramgen slay

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FEARING that her testimony could be totally stricken out of records, Janelle Manahan, on Tuesday, reappeared before the court to testify against the suspects in the killing of actor Ramgen Revilla-Bautista.


In taking the witness stand, Manahan told the Regional Trial Court in Parañaque City that she was able to “connect the dot” in the murder of his ex-boyfriend, linking the latter’s siblings to the crime.

She maintained that rivalry among the siblings caused by financial and behavioral factors could be the motive behind Ramgen’s murder.

Manahan said that at first, she could not believe that Ramgen’s siblings could conspire to kill him, but along the way, she was able to “connect the dots.”

She cited an instance when Ramona lied about her supposed abduction by the suspect and later flew to another country after recanting her initial statement.

In another instance, Manahan observed that Ramon Joseph “RJ” and sisters Ragene and Gail did not have a “look of mourning” when they visited her at the emergency room of Parañaque Medical Center.

In boosting her sibling rivalry theory, Manahan said that she once saw Ramgen punched Ramon Joseph, one of the accused, because of a high credit card debt.

Ramgen, the witness added, also poked Ramona a pistol just because she did not come home at night. She said that a fight among siblings is normal but the gun poking was another story.

But the defense panel questioned Manahan’s credibility and claimed that maybe she was the target of the assailants all along.

Lawyer Jeffrey Gepte, counsel for RJ, said that Manahan was not able to properly establish the connection of RJ and Ramona to the murder of their brother.

“Mahanan said that before, during and after the incident, she has surmise or evidences pointing to the participation of the siblings when all we heard is that in Ramona’s case, she did nothing during the time the incident happened,” he said.

During her testimony, Manahan also said that except for RJ and Ryan Pastera, she does not personally know other respondents Glaiza Visda, Norwin dela Cruz, Roy Francis Tolisora and Michael Nartea.

“Whatever they throw at me, I’m ready to answer each question because I am confident with the things that I know,” Manahan told reporters after the hearing.