Trial to be held in old Vizconde courtroom

MANILA, Philippines -  The murder and frustrated murder charges against 18-year-old Ramon Joseph Bautista, the principal suspect in the killing of his elder brother Ram Revilla (real name Ramgen Bautista), was raffled off yesterday afternoon to Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274, the same courtroom where the 1991 Vizconde massacre case was tried.

The Office of the City Prosecutor found probable cause to indict Joseph. Presiding Judge Fortunito Madronio set his arraignment on Nov. 16 at 8:30 a.m. and for his transfer to the Parañaque City Jail.

The raffle of cases for the Parañaque courts is usually done on Mondays but Nov. 7 was a holiday.

The Vizconde case was tried by then Judge Amelita Tolentino, who is now a Court of Appeals justice, from 1994 to 2000.

Estrelita Vizconde and daughters Carmela and Jennifer were killed in their BF Homes residence. The accused in the case are scions of wealthy families, led by Hubert Webb, a former senator’s son. They were exonerated by the Supreme Court in December 2010.

‘Faster without preliminary probe’

Joseph’s case was elevated to the court following his lawyer’s bid to speed up the case. Dennis Manazal insisted that Joseph’s arrest last Oct. 31 was illegal and that his client should be released from police custody.

In an earlier interview, Manzanal told The STAR that once the case is filed in court, he will either file a motion to quash the case, or ask for his client’s immediate release while being subjected to a preliminary investigation. “If the prosecutor will not release us, we will ask the court for relief,” he said.

The Parañaque City police, for its part, maintained that they did not need an arrest warrant because Joseph was nabbed in a hot pursuit operation. Chief Inspector Enrique Sy also said they will stand by their findings that Joseph’s group was behind Revilla’s murder.

Hearing reset

The preliminary investigation for Joseph’s two co-accused in the case – Michael Nartea (not Altea as earlier reported) and Roy Francisco Tolisora – was reset at 2 p.m. today after their lawyer Ana Luz Cristal failed to appear.

At least seven have been charged for the attack, including Revilla’s younger sister, Ma. Ramona Bautista and three more – Glaiza Vista, Norwin “Toto” de la Cruz, a certain Bryan – who allegedly helped plan and execute the crime.

The police based their accusation on the affidavit of Ruel Puzon, who claimed that Joseph was the group’s “contact” person in the Revilla’s household. Joseph was also allegedly present when the P19,000 budget for guns and other materials needed for the killing was given to Nartea, Puzon said.

Vista, De la Cruz, and Bryan remain at large while Ramona flew to Hong Kong, then to Turkey, on Friday after recanting her statement that she was abducted by Revilla’s attacker.

Blue Notice

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sent yesterday a request for the International Police (Interpol) to issue a “Blue Notice” against Ramona.

NBI foreign liaison chief Claro de Castro Jr. said if the Interpol agrees, the request to monitor Ramona’s location and movements will be disseminated to the Interpol’s 190 member-countries.

The request was coursed through the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime.

“At the same time, we also requested Interpol Istanbul to verify if she entered (their jurisdiction), the status of her stay in the country. We are verifying if she is a resident or citizen,” De Castro said.

De Castro said if a court issues a warrant for Ramona’s arrest, that is when the NBI will issue a request to put Ramona’s name on the Red Notice list, which means Ramona can be arrested and extradited. – Aie Balagtas See, Sandy Araneta