Brains in trader’s kidnap-slay charged

MANILA, Philippines — Criminal complaints have been filed against the alleged mastermind and other suspects in the kidnap-slaying of a 64-year-old businessman in Quezon City.

Cases of kidnapping with homicide and car theft were filed by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD)before the prosecutor’s office against Victor Vidal Duenas, 62; Mervin Armas, 44; Noli Cape, 29, and Jonel Pintor, who remains at large.

A separate complaint for illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosive was filed by police against Cape and Armas.

The two yielded a .22-caliber handgun and a grenade when they were arrested in Caloocan City.

The victim’s body was found stuffed in a drum and buried in a vacant lot in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan.

Police identified Duenas through his aliases James Paul Dwight and Lope Jimenez.

Duenas was arrested in a follow-up operation in Mandaluyong on Friday.

Probers are investigating if Duenas is the same fishing magnate Lope Jimenez, who was implicated in the murder of Ruby Rose Barrameda whose body was stuffed in a drum and dumped in Navotas waters in 2007.

“That is for further confirmation,” QCPD director Col. Melecio Buslig said.

Barrameda’s sister, Rochelle, said Duenas and Lope Jimenez are the same person as she met him twice.

Barrameda said she also met Duenas during a preliminary investigation of the cases filed against the suspect before the Department of Justice in connection with Ruby Rose’s murder.

While they did not obtain justice for Ruby Rose, Barrameda said she is thankful that Duenas is in jail and would be prosecuted for his alleged other crimes.

“He was arrested not as Lope Jimenez,” she said.