Quezon City police have arrested Lope Jimenez, a fishing magnate and principal suspect in the 2007 murder of Ruby Rose Barrameda, who was infamously buried in a drum in Navotas City. Actress Rochelle Barrameda, Ruby Rose’s sister, confirmed the arrest on Friday, expressing her belief in Jimenez’s involvement in the gruesome killing almost 18 years ago.

Jimenez, apprehended in Mandaluyong City, is the uncle of Ruby Rose’s husband, Manuel “Third” Jimenez III. Manuel and his father, Manuel Jimenez Jr., were previously tried but acquitted of Ruby Rose’s murder, along with Lope Jimenez.

Arrest linked to separate murder case

The man arrested, who identified himself as Victor Vidal Dueñas, was taken into custody for a separate murder case that bore a similar modus operandi. He was apprehended after a police operation related to the disappearance and murder of a businessman who was reported missing on 5 January, after leaving his vehicle.

Investigations led to the arrest of two suspects, Noel Bãnegas Cape and Mervin Juane Armas, who admitted to abducting the businessman in Barangay 183 Pangarap, Caloocan City. The suspects later directed authorities to San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan, where the businessman’s body was recovered.

Operation leads to key arrest

The suspects, Cape and Armas, disclosed that they were promised a payment of P100,000 by a man they knew as “Dwight.” They arranged to meet Dwight at a fast-food restaurant in Wack Wack, Mandaluyong City, on 10 January.

At 6:14 AM on Friday, Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit agents from the Quezon City Police District arrested the man identified as Dwight after he exited the restaurant. Inside a blue leather bag he carried, police found a cellular phone, a pair of handcuffs with a keychain, and a wallet containing identification cards under the name Victor Vidal Dueñas.

Dueñas claimed to be 62 years old and a resident of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, as well as Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Cape and Armas positively identified him as their contact.

Sister’s revelation on suspect’s identity

The arrest reignites attention on the long-running investigation into Ruby Rose Barrameda’s killing. Ruby Rose disappeared on 12 March 2007, and her remains were discovered in 2009, encased in a cement-filled steel drum on property owned by the Buena Suerte Jimenez Fishing and Trading Co., which belongs to Lope Jimenez.

Key witness Manuel Montero confessed to being part of the group paid P50,000 each to kill Ruby Rose. Montero’s testimony led to the discovery of her remains and implicated the Jimenez father and son, along with Lope Jimenez. However, the Jimenez father and son were later acquitted.

Actress Rochelle Barrameda revealed on social media that the suspect had been hiding for years under various aliases, including "Victor Vidal Dueñas" and "James Paul Dwight." She identified him as one of the individuals responsible for her sister’s murder.

“Sya ang nagtago ng napakatagal at isa sa mga suspect sa karumaldumal na pagpatay sa kapatid kong si Ruby Rose Barrameda. Isinilid sa drum, sinemento, at tinapon sa dagat ng Navotas nung March 14, 2007,” Rochelle wrote.

Previously, the Barrameda family suspected Ruby Rose’s husband, Manuel Jimenez III, of involvement in her disappearance and murder. However, he, along with his father and uncle, was acquitted in court.

The latest developments bring renewed hope to the Barrameda family that justice for Ruby Rose may finally be served.