Handcuffs spoil RJ Bautista's reunion with dad Ramon Revilla Sr

Instead of breaking into a wide smile, former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr. frowned when he met his son Ramon Joseph "RJ" Bautista again after two years.

The reason? The Revilla patriarch saw Bautista wearing handcuffs, a reminder that his son remains a prisoner who is being tried for a crime he insists he had nothing to do with.

Revilla and Bautista had a reunion Tuesday when the former senator visited the burial site of RJ's older brother Ramgen Revilla, one of his sons with Genelyn Magsaysay.

In the video shown on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali,” the elder Revilla looked displeased as Bautista approached him at the memorial park accompanied by several jail guards.

When Bautista leaned to kiss his father on the cheek, Revilla was overheard asking his companions: "Ba't meron 'to?" referring to the handcuffs his son was wearing.

Bautista had to explain to his father that wearing handcuffs was a standard procedure for inmates who were allowed by court to be temporarily released from jail.

"Bawal po kasing tanggalin, dad... Procedure po kasi 'to," Bautista told Revilla.

Earlier this month, the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court allowed Bautista to temporarily leave prison for six hours on October 29 to visit Ramgen's burial site in Cavite to commemorate his second death anniversary.

Ramgen was stabbed and shot inside the family's house in Parañaque City on October 28, 2011.

Bautista and his sister Ramona have been tagged as suspects in Ramgen's death and in the frustrated murder of Ramgen's girlfriend Janelle Manahan, who sustained a gunshot wound to her face.

Despite pleading not guilty to the charges filed against him, Bautista remains in prison while Ramona has fled to Turkey.

Revilla, who has been rarely seen in public because of poor health, issued a statement last week insisting his children had nothing to do with Ramgen's death.

Magsaysay said in the television report that seeing Bautista out of jail for a few hours has made her and the rest of the family very happy on Ramgen's second death anniversary.

"Masayang-masaya kami ng aking pamilya kasi kahit na may lungkot kaming nararamdaman dahil death anniversary ni Ramgen, kasama naman namin ngayon si Ramon Joseph para alalahanin yung mga memories na naiwan ni Ramgen," she said.

Magsaysay said authorities will only make progress in finding out the actual masterminds behind Ramgen's murder once the court declares Bautista is innocent.

"Pag napatunayang inosente si Ramon Joseph, doon lang tayo magkakaroon ng lead kung sino talaga ang mastermind at pumatay kay [Ramgen]," she said.

Bautista's camp has filed a motion for reconsideration asking the court to grant his petition for bail, which it previously denied. — Xianne Arcangel/KBK, GMA News