Slain DFA exec laid to rest today; sister breaks silence

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Alicia Ramos will be laid to rest beside her parents grave at the 7th Fleet Cemetery in Rosario, Cavite today as police start processing evidence taken from her house, where she was killed by suspected robbers.

Her remains will be taken to her hometown following an early morning Mass.

Ramos, chief of the Office on Asian Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), was slain by suspected robbers inside her house in Barangay Palanan, Makati City last Sunday.

Those tagged responsible for her death are yet to be arrested or identified by members of a special task force created to handle the robbery-homicide case.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, during a necrological service yesterday afternoon at the Loyola Memorial Chapels in Guadalupe, Makati City, described Ramos as a very professional official of the government.

Ramos, he said, never complained of tasks assigned to her and the DFA’s happy days with her should and always be remembered.

The DFA chief was among the many speakers during the necrological service attended by DFA officials, employees, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Ambassadors, former ambassadors, and assistant secretaries joined Ramos’ sister Leticia, 61, in remembering Alicia.

Ramos was tagged as "Ina ng Ugnayang Pilipino" for her outstanding contributions in the DFA as a former ambassador to Romania, New Zealand and Singapore.

Ramos’ sister, the primary witness to the killing, finally broke her silence and issued a formal statement to the police two days after the incident.

Southern Police District (SPD) director, Senior Superintendent Wilfredo Garcia said they are now studying her sworn statement, some details of which they withheld.

Leticia said they were victimized by Akyat-Gahay gang members who blindfolded, and hogtied them and covered their mouth with tape.

Contrary to an earlier information that there were three masked men, she said there were actually five, one of them serving as a lookout.

Leticia said she managed to escape by struggling and rolling over repeatedly and ran out the house when she managed to set herself free.

Garcia said Leticia’s statement strengthens the robbery angle being followed by investigators.

He said more information will be made available to media soon after evaluation.

Meanwhile, the crime laboratory of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has started examining evidence recovered from the room of Ramos.

Chief Superintendent Ernesto Belen, head of the PNPs crime laboratory, said they are examining fingernail clippings, fingerprints on the recovered packing tape and blood-stained long-sleeved shirts, a scarf, and a cigarette butt.

"This is a very tedious and circuitous process. We expect to finish our various tests in a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three weeks," Belen told The STAR.

The crime lab chief said Ramos’ mouth was covered with tape, a scarf placed over her face and a towel tied loosely around her neck. Her hands were tied with a white cloth.

Belen said initial findings showed that Ramos died of suffocation and not due to strangulation. "Hindi siya makahinga dahil mahigpit ang nakaikot na bandana sa mukha niya at may takip rin ang bibig niya," Belen said.

He said there’s no sign of a broken windpipe to indicate that she died of strangulation.