Ramona Bautista flees Philippines amid Ram Revilla murder probe: report

Manila: A key suspect in the October 30 killing of a local actor has reportedly fled the country as Filipinos remain riveted in a drama involving one of the country's most well known political and show business family.

Television and radio reports said Maria Ramona "Mara" Bautista had left for Hong Kong and is supposedly in a third country, presumably Turkey, supposedly to join her partner.

Police said they are at a loss on the whereabouts of one 21-year-old woman believed to be one of the key suspects in the killing of her own half-brother, budding actor Ram Revilla.

"We have no knowledge as far as where Ramona is right now," suburban Paranaque City police chief Billy Beltran was quoted by reports as saying.

Ramona was said to have left on a Cathay Pacific flight early on Friday evening, hours after admitting that she had lied to police about having been abducted by the man who killed her 23-year-old older brother, who goes by the name Ram Bautista in real life.

The 21-year-old Mara's supposed departure is the latest development in an October 30 evening attack that left her own brother dead and the latter's girlfriend Janelle Ann Manahan wounded.

On Thursday, Janelle, after several days issued a testimony to police that she had seen Mara talking with a presumed hired assassin before Ram was found dead from stabbing and gunshot wounds. Another suspect implicated in the case is Mara's younger brother RJ.

The issue could have been dismissed as a simple crime except that the key players have ties that add a political dimension to the matter. Earlier, Ram's elder brother Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr, said he will do everything possible to solve the killing and the attempt on the life of Janelle.

The siblings are children of former Senator and ex-movie actor Ramon Revilla Sr. by Genelyn Magsaysay. Senator Bong Revilla, also a film star, was borne from a union with Azucena Mortel-Bautista.

The Revilla family has long lorded over politics in the province of Cavite and the slain Ram reportedly had plans to run for a seat in the city council before he was killed. Aside from this the incumbent Senator was said to be planning to run for vice president in the 2016 national elections.

In the meantime that the authorities and the Revilla family are contemplating their next moves, the political future of one of the country's most enduring political families hang in a balance.