MANILA, Philippines – Authorities are verifying information that at least five more people were killed in a manner similar to that of Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez, who was stuffed in a drum, encased in cement, then put in a steel box before being dumped in the waters off Navotas.
“The search for the five cadavers is ongoing, we have already visited the areas where the bodies were purportedly dumped and it seems there will be difficulty in tracking them down since some are already in the international waters,” said Superintendent Leo Francisco.
Francisco, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office-Regional Police Intelligence Operations Unit, said the information about the five Mafia-style killings was revealed by Manuel Montero, who confessed to be one of the alleged killers of Jimenez and helped the police locate her body last June 10, or more than two years after she went missing on March 14, 2007.
“You cannot question the credibility of Montero,” who helped us locate Ruby’s body, Francisco told reporters at a weekly Talakayan Sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) program in Camp Crame yesterday afternoon.
He said they are coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group to locate the bodies.
Francisco noted that Montero has already started revealing some information as to where they dumped the five victims, who have been missing since 2006.
Pending further investigation, Francisco refused to disclose if the suspects in the killings of the five missing victims were among those charged in the murder of Ruby Rose.
Earlier, police filed criminal charges against Manuel Jimenez II; his brother, Lope Jimenez, the owner of Buena Suerte Jimenez Fishing & Trading Co.; Eric Fernandez; Spike Discalzo; Roberto Ponce alias Abet; Rudy dela Cruz and Montero before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Francisco said they have yet to include Ruby Rose’s husband, Manuel Jimenez III, as among those charged for her death in the absence of evidence to implicate him.
Meanwhile, Metro police director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales said he decided to provide the Barramedas an eight-man police team who will protect them from the “bad guys” on a 24-hour basis.
“The police team would be within a short distance from them wherever they go like malls, church and markets,” he said.
Rosales clarified that Ruby Rose’s family is not receiving death threats, but “we don’t want to give opportunity to the bad guys who might entertain an idea of harming or threatening them.”
Ruby Rose’s sister, former actress Rochelle Barrameda vowed to pursue the case against the Jimenezes and their five co-accused.
The DOJ set the preliminary investigation of the murder case on June 26.
The Jimenez family has repeatedly denied involvement in the murder of Ruby Rose. – With Non Alquitran