18-YEAR-OLD CASE Actress Rochelle Barrameda positively identifies聽fishing magnate Lope Jimenez, who is tagged in the killing of her sister Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez. 鈥擭I脩O JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Quezon City police arrested on Friday a principal suspect in the 2007 killing of Ruby Rose Barrameda, who was buried in a drum in Navotas City, according to the victim鈥檚 sister, actress Rochelle Barrameda.
The actress told the Inquirer that police arrested in Mandaluyong City fishing magnate Lope Jimenez, whom she believed to have been involved in her sister鈥檚 killing almost 18 years ago.
The fishing magnate is the uncle of Ruby Rose鈥檚 husband Manuel 鈥淭hird鈥� Jimenez III, who was tried but acquitted of murdering his wife along with his father and Lope鈥檚 brother Manuel Jimenez Jr.
鈥淚鈥檓 here to identify if the person arrested today is the same person suspected in the killing of my sister,鈥� Barrameda said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 him. I know him as Lope Jimenez.鈥�
But the man in police custody was arrested on a different murder case, with an eerily similar modus operandi.
A police report obtained by the Inquirer showed that police arrested one 鈥淰ictor Vidal Duenas,鈥� also known as 鈥淛ames Paul Dwight,鈥� who was arrested for the abduction and killing of businessman William Pascaran Sr.
Tagged by cohorts
The report said Pascaran, 62, a resident of Loyola Heights in Quezon City, was reported to have disappeared between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Jan. 5 onboard his Toyota Innova.
A police operation resulted in the arrest of two men, identified as Noel Ba帽egas Cape and Mervin Juane Armas, who confessed to have been involved in Pascaran鈥檚 abduction at Barangay 183 Pangarap in Caloocan City on Wednesday.
The two suspects led the police to San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan where the body of the businessman was recovered.
The police said that around 10 p.m. of Jan. 9, Cape received a call from the man they knew as Dwight.
鈥淒uring their conversation, suspect Dwight promised that he will give the payment of P100,000 to suspects Cape and Armas on their meeting on the next morning, Jan. 10, 2025, in McDonald鈥檚 Wack Wack Branch, Mandaluyong City,鈥� the report said.
At 6:14 a.m. on Friday, agents from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District were dispatched to arrest Dwight.
Police said Cape and Armas positively identified Dwight while inside the McDonald鈥檚 branch.
Upon the suspect鈥檚 exit, after he was arrested, lawmen seized from Dwight one blue leather bag with a cellular phone and a handcuff with keychain and a leather wallet containing assorted identication cards under the name Victor Vidal Due帽as.
Dwight, who identified himself as Victor Vidal Due帽as, claimed he is 62 years old and a resident of Dacanay Rd. 2 Prk, Magkakapatod, San Manuel, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and 312 Bougainvilla St., Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
The killing of the actress鈥� sister dragged on for years and involved three accused perpetrators鈥攐ne Manuel Montero, and the Jimenez father and son.
The Jimenez father and son were identified by Montero, who led the authorities in 2009 to the place where the slain Ruby Rose was placed in a cement-seal steel container after she disappeared in 2007.
Montero confessed he was among those who were paid P50,000 each to kill Ruby Rose on March 12, 2007.
He surrendered to the police on May 18, 2009, and led investigators to the location of Ruby Rose鈥檚 remains in the property of Buena Suerte Jimenez Fishing and Trading Co., owned by Lope Jimenez.
He said the kill order came from Ruby Rose鈥檚 father-in-law Manuel Jimenez Jr. and his younger brother Lope.