Janelle sues Ramgen's mom, siblings for sex video upload

MANILA, Philippines - Actress Janelle Manahan filed yesterday a complaint against the mother and siblings of her slain boyfriend, Ramgen Bautista, for allegedly being behind the uploading of their sex video on the Internet last month.

Manahan, accompanied by her lawyer, Argee Guevarra, sought the help of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to go after Ramgen’s mother, Genelyn Magsaysay; daughters Gail Bautista and Ramona “Mara” Bautista; and two minor siblings. She said the five respondents have access to the video and the motive to upload it.

“We hope that with the help of your cybercrime unit, we would be able to determine which computer(s) was used in uploading the video over the Internet,” Guevarra told CIDG officials Senior Superintendent Christopher Laxa, deputy chief for administration and Superintendent Emma Libunao, chief of the Women and Children Protection Center.

Guevarra said from the time Manahan indicated her intention to testify in the case, Ramgen’s siblings have been constantly harassing her on Facebook to retract her statement and not to implicate them in her boyfriend’s murder.

“In uploading the sex video, Ramgen’s family thought they could dissuade and cow Manahan from testifying against them for the murder of Ramgen,” Guevarra said.

Laxa vowed to do their best to hold accountable all those behind the uploading of the video.

“This case will fall under violation of Republic Act 9995 or the ‘Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009,’” he said, adding that Manahan’s complaint is the first case of this nature and could be a test case on the law.

Laxa noted that they are banking on the expertise of the police anti-cybercrime operatives to be able to give justice to Manahan. The CIDG official also warned those in possession and involved in the sale of copies of the sex video that they can be arrested if found by the police.

Although Ramgen took the video with the consent of Manahan, Guevarra said the video was never intended to be seen by anyone else. He said Ramgen transferred the video clip from the digital camera to his laptop through a memory card. He noted that his client asked Ramgen to delete the file and he was surprised to learn the video was uploaded on Dec. 30, 2011.

“It was a minor brother of Ramgen who forewarned Manahan through a Facebook message about the circulation of the video clip,” Gueverra said.

Guevarra said they believe Ramgen’s family was behind the upload of the video since they have all of Ramgen’s belongings after he was murdered last Oct. 28, 2011. He said Magsaysay admitted to having custody of Ramgen’s possessions, contradicting her previous claims that the laptop was taken by the police. Magsaysay also accused the police of circulating the video, Guevarra said.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor handling the frustrated murder charges against Gail and her husband, Hiro Furuyama, “voluntarily inhibited” herself from the case two days after Furuyama sought her inhibition on Jan. 2.

The case against the couple will be handled by prosecutor Bert Fabros.

Prosecutor Leah Roma, however, will still handle the preliminary investigation into the original murder and frustrated murder charges that the Parañaque police filed against Ramona, Ramon Joseph and five others. The charges have been submitted for resolution. – With Aie Balagtas See