CORPSE OF FORMER BEAUTY QUEEN'S SISTER FOUND BURIED IN CEMENTED METAL BOX

Ruby Rose Jimenez left her sister Rochelle Barrameda-Stevens' Moonwalk Village, Las Piñas City home one day in March 2007 and was never seen again by the Barrameda family until June 10, 2009.

A rectangular metal box that weighed about a ton was hauled off from the waters of Manila Bay in Navotas City after two days of searching in the area by divers. The lead came from Manuel Montero who confessed that he was part of the killing and knew where the body could be found.

The box had to be brought to the crime lab where the personnel cut through thick cement to get through a cemented case that concealed a drum where the corpse was stuffed in soggy cement. The box was heavy enough to remain submerged under the water, a ploy that the murderers used to prevent it from floating.

Rochelle Barrameda, a former beauty queen and actor, tearfully recounted that when her calls and text messages to her sister remained unanswered, she called up her sister's father-in-law, Manuel Jimenez, Jr. to ask about her sister's whereabouts and for help in locating her but Mr. Jimenez told her that he did not know where Ruby was and that he did not believe that she was missing and would not help to find her. She and her family later asked for police assistance. They exhausted all efforts to locate Ruby Rose and even made use of free online advertising through the website OLX to find her. Further requests and repeated pleas to the Jimenezes to help her family find Ruby as weeks passed fell on deaf ears. She belied their claim that they were doing their share in locating her sister.

Charges had been filed against seven people who were believed to have taken part in the murder of Ruby Rose Jimenez, among them were Manuel Jimenez,Jr. and his brother Lope Jimenez, the owner of Buena Suerte Jimenez Fishing Company where the box was found. Manuel Jr. denied his family's involvement in the crime and stated that he had not communicated with his brother for a long time but he was ready to face the charges against him.

The ill-fated girl had told her sister Rochelle of her marital woes, Manuel III's physical abuse of her and verbal threats of killing her. She was estranged from her husband since December 2006 and filed a temporary protection order against him and a writ of habeas corpus so that she could take care of getting custody of her children whom her husband's family had taken from her. The courts dismissed the cases.

Manuel Jimenez III had agreed to allow his children, Marca and Maria Isabelle to attend memorial services for their mother. Ruby Rose's remains lie in state in one of the chapels of Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque City. People from all over have come to pay their last respects and to condole with the family of the murdered girl. Meanwhile the Barrameda family calls for "Justice for Ruby" by wearing pins and agreeing to interviews by the media. Dante Jimenez (no relation to Ruby's in-laws) of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption had offered his group's assistance to the family.

Visitors at Ruby Rose's wake keep on pouring in, alternately expressing their horror for the crime and sympathy for the Barramedas. Interment will take place on Tuesday, June 16 at the Manila Memorial Park burial grounds.