Lawyer details links between Revilla slay suspects

MANILA, Philippines - The only suspect in the Ram Revilla murder case who remains at large is linked to the husband of one of the actor’s siblings, a defense lawyer said yesterday.

Ryan Pastora “is connected” to Gail Bautista because of her husband, Hiro Furuyama,” Claire Castillo said in a text message to The STAR. She said this was according to her client, Glaiza Visda, who is one of the seven suspects in the Oct. 28 killing of Revilla (real name Ramgen Jose Bautista).

Castillo declined to elaborate, saying Visda will file her counter-affidavit tomorrow.

Police refused to categorically state the motive behind the murder, but affidavits from suspects and text messages extracted from Revilla’s phone, show that the Bautistas have quarreled over allowances and the way Revilla – the eldest of nine children – allegedly maltreated his younger siblings.

In an earlier interview with Castillo, the lawyer said Visda “implicated Gail because she saw her talking to Ryan (Pastera) – who represented himself before as Bryan.”

“Ryan kept telling her stories about their plans (on Revilla). She was like a tape recorder, listening to gossip. Until one day at Tides (a local bar), Glaiza saw Ryan talking to a lady wearing white and who looked pregnant,” Castillo said.

Visda later learned the woman was Gail, who is eight months pregnant, according to their mother, Genelyn Magsaysay.

Gail, 20, is the third of Revilla’s siblings implicated in his murder.

She was in their family house in BF Homes on the night Revilla was murdered. Older sister Ramona, 22; and younger brother Joseph, 18, are both tagged as masterminds.

Castillo said Pastera and Visda are both members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity. Ryan was initially identified as Bryan until investigators established his real identity.