DOJ starts probe of Ruby Rose case

MANILA, Philippines - The suspects in the brutal killing of Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez, sister of former actress Rochelle Barrameda refuted the testimony of state witness Manuel Montero who was accused of fabricating the accusations against them during yesterday’s start of the preminary investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila.

In separate counter affidavits submitted to the investigating panel of prosecutors during the hearing, Ruby Rose’s husband, Manuel “Third” Jimenez III and his father Manuel II and uncle Lope all denied allegation that they were behind her murder.

Montero earlier claimed he was trusted by the Jimenezes since he had worked as operations manager of the family-owned Buena Suerte Jimenez Fishing and Trading Co. (BSJ) for over 13 years from 1994.

But the Jimenezes said that he was fired from his job in 2007 by Lope for “various infractions.”

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, spokesman of the defense panel, said their clients believe that the allegation made by Montero against his former bosses was an obvious “act of revenge.”

“If there is any grain of truth to his allegation (that the Jimenezes ordered the killing of Ruby Rose), Montero should have been pampered rather than be fired,” argued the lawyer.

The respondents also rebutted the claim of Montero that the murder of Ruby Rose was jointly ordered by Lope and Manuel II, saying such an allegation was “totally impossible as they are locked in a bitter feud since 2005 and have not been in speaking terms for the past four years now.”

Defense lawyers presented before the investigating panel a total of 15 witnesses, mostly employees of BSJ, to support this claim.

Manuel II also denied hiring or personally knowing Montero. He claimed he was never involved in operations of BSJ.

Also, lawyers of respondents have challenged complainants to first prove that the body recovered at the bottom of the Manila Bay last June 10 was really that of Ruby Rose.

Apart from the three Jimenezes, the four other respondents in the murder case – Eric Fernandez, Spyke Discalzo, Roberto Ponce and Rudy de la Cruz – also submitted their counter affidavits and denied the allegation of Montero.

Meanwhile, women’s rights lawyer Rowena Guanzon and opposition lawyer Adel Tamano joined the panel of prosecution lawyers for the Barrameda family.

In his earlier affidavit, Montero confessed he was one of the five killers who were allegedly paid with P50,000 each to carry out the murder two years ago. He had directly named Ruby Rose’s father-in-law and his brother as the ones who ordered him and four others to abduct and kill her.

In his supplemental affidavit, he alleged that the victim’s husband also had knowledge of the killing.

Because of this testimony of Montero, Ruby Rose’s family said they would include her husband in the list of respondents in the case.

Ruby Rose reportedly disappeared on March 14, 2007, after a bitter dispute with her estranged husband over the custody of their two young children.

Based on Montero’s account, Ruby Rose was killed inside the BSJ warehouse at Pier 2 of the Navotas fish port on the same day she was abducted.

On Montero’s instructions, Ruby Rose’s mouth was gagged with packaging tape while her hands were tied. With at least two men keeping watch on her, the victim was left in the vehicle until it was dark. Again on Montero’s orders, one of the men strangled Ruby Rose with a steel wire. The body was brought to one of the rooms of the warehouse where three men stuffed and cemented it in a metal drum used in transporting diesel. To ensure that the body will not be recovered, the drum was enclosed and welded in a steel casing. It was brought to a BSJ fishing vessel and was thrown into the waters some one nautical mile (1.85 kilometers) away from the port.

Ruby Rose was taken by armed men in a van on the day she was supposed to visit her two daughters at the house of her estranged husband in BF Homes in Las Piñas City. During interrogation, Montero also admitted that he had participated in at least five other Mafia-style executions as ordered by the Jimenezes.

The cooperation of Montero with police led to the discovery of the body of the victim at the bottom of the Manila Bay last June 10.