Phantom Maelstrom

A high ranking National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official on Wednesday said that the bureau can trace the individual who uploaded the original sex video of slain actor Ramgen Bautista and surviving star witness Janelle Manahan on social networking sites.

NBI Assistant Director Atty. Medardo de Lemos said the bureau's Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division has the capability to trace where and when the video was first uploaded.

"Mayroon tayong proseso at paraan kung paano natin malalaman at matutukoy kung sino ang nag-upload [ng video]. Hindi na lang namin sasabihin sa publiko kung paano ito ginagawa ng computer crimes unit [eng: We have processes and means of knowing and tracing who uploaded the video. We're just not going to tell the public how our computer crimes unit do it]," de Lemos told dzMM.

De Lemos refused to disclose how the tracing is exactly done, but cited a case he handled where the identity of anonymous e-mail sender was determined.

"Kaya ko nasabi iyan dahil may kasong nai-refer sa akin, at 'yun naman ay tungkol sa isang e-mail na na-discuss sa amin ng isang technician at sinabi niya na mayroon silang paraan para malaman kung saan nanggaling ang pagpadala ng e-mail na iyon [eng: I have said this because there is a case referred to me, and that was about a certain e-mail that was discuss to us by a technician, and he said he has a way of knowing where the e-mail came from]," he said.

The video shows Ramgen and Janelle having sexual intercourse in a bathroom. Ramgen used a small digital camera to record their consensual act (see here).

The sex video first circulated in popular social networking site Facebook last week (although earlier it was thought that it came from youtube). It has since been removed by the unidentified uploader after earning the ire of several users.

Senator Bong Revilla, hlaf-brother of Ramgen, on Tuesday said he will ask the assistance of the NBI to conduct an investigation on the leakage.

However, de Lemos said he is not aware if Revilla has already filed a formal request for an investigation.

"Wala pa akong natanggap sa Office of the Assistant Director na ganoong request, baka naman dumiretso siya sa Deputy Director for Special Investigation [Services], kay Deputy Director [Edmundo] Arugay [eng: I haven't receive that kind of request from the Office of the Assistant Director, maybe he directly went to Deputy Director for Special Investigation Services, Deputy Director Edmundo Arugay]," he said.

De Lemos said it would be better if the camp of Manahan will be the one to file a complaint so their investigation on the matter can proceed.

Manahan's camp accused the Bautista household of uploading the video.

Her lawyers said it was a form of harassment after the slain actor's girlfriend testified against principal accused and Ramgen's siblings Ramona and RJ.

Another sibling of Ramgen, Gail Bautista-Furuyama, was implicated in the murder by Manahan.

Ramgen's mother, Genelyn Bautista, for her part, admitted that she has the laptop that might contain the file of the clip. She, however, said no one but Ramgen has access to it.