Ex-beauty queen identifies missing sister's remains

MANILA, Philippines – Former beauty queen and actress Rochelle Barrameda on Wednesday confirmed that the remains found inside a cemented steel case in Navotas City was that of her sister’s. A report aired over QTV’s “News on Q" said Barrameda based her confirmation from the clothes worn by the body. The recovery had officially ended the family’s two-year search for Ruby Rose. The police said, however, that they would have to match first the remains’ dental records with the ones submitted to them by the family. This developed as the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption – a group composed of relatives of victims of heinous crimes – vowed to help Barrameda and the police in going after the perpetrator. Members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) found Ruby Rose’s body following a tip from an informant. The victim has been missing since May 2007. “Sa imbestigasyon namin sinabi niya [informant] na isang babae ang nasa loob n’yan at hanggang ngayon ay iniimbestigahan namin. Para kami makasigurado isinabmit namin sa crime lab [para] magka-meron sila forensic analysis," an investigator told Dailisan in an interview aired over GMA News’ “24 Oras." [The informant told us that the cemented steel case contains the body of a woman. To be sure, we had the remains undergo forensic analysis.] Barrameda got emotional when she first saw the cemented steel case at the police crime laboratory. “Hindi makatao. Inilagay na sa drum… hindi ka pa nakontento sinemento mo pa [This is beyond evil. You put her in a drum and you even cemented it]," she said. Barrameda’s family suspected that Ruby Rose’s husband, Manuel Jimenez III, had something to do with the killing. “Ang kapal-kapal ng mukha ninyo para sabihin nyo na wala kayong alam. Ang kapal ng mukha niyo. Sana kung ano man ang nararamdaman naming, maramdaman niyo rin, maramdaman ng pamilya nyo," she added. The report said Jimenez’s counsel denied Barrameda’s presumption. The lawyer, whom the report did not name, said his client could not be charged in court based on a mere suspicion. - Fidel Jimenez and Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV