A year after Ruby Rose’s body was found
QUEZON CITY– On June 10, 2009, the Barrameda family’s two-year search for Ruby Rose ended in the murky waters off Navotas. Ruby Rose’s body was found stuffed in a steel barrel, cemented into a steel box submerged in the waters. The barrel and box were so well-soldered that it took about five hours for crime laboratory experts to cut through and remove the remains of the victim.
A year after, what proves to be the hardest for the Barrameda family is obtaining justice for the gruesome murder of Ruby Rose.
On the day marking a year since the body of Ruby Rose was found, progressive women’s group GABRIELA joined the victim’s family and friends in front of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pressure the agency to hasten the delivery of justice for Ruby Rose.
“On top of having to endure the loss of a loved one in a grisly death and losing custody of the victim’s children, the Barrameda family suffers yet another attack with the delay in justice for Ruby Rose,” said Lana Linaban, GABRIELA secretary general.
Suspect-turned-witness Manuel Montero claimed that Ruby Rose’s father-in-law, Manuel Jimenez Jr., and his brother, Lope Jimenez, ordered him and four accomplices to carry out the mafia-style killing. Lope owns Navotas-based Buena Surte Jimenez Fishing and Trading Co. which maintains a compound where, Montero claims, the killing took place. Montero also revealed that the victim’s estranged husband Manuel “Third” Jimenez III has knowledge of the crime.
But last March, former Justice Secretary Agnes Devanedera ordered the removal of shipping magnate Lope Jimenez from the list of the accused in the murder case.
“We fear the legal implications with the dismissal of the charges against Lope Jimenez. The dropping of the charges against one of the “masterminds” behind the crime, despite strong evidences, might provide the basis for the dismissal of the case against the other accomplices,” added Linaban.
“We call on incumbent Justice Secretary Alberto Agra to reverse Devanedera’s decision and prove that justice does not turn a blind eye on the rich. DOJ should also conduct a speedy trial because justice delayed is justice denied,” added Linaban.
The group vowed to remain vigilant until justice is attained for Ruby Rose and all victims of abuse. #
