Ruby Rose suffered fate of most abuse victims

MANILA, Philippines - Just like other victims of domestic abuse, Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez might still be alive if she or her family had reported to authorities that she was being beaten up by her husband, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said on Saturday. “You know I think this could have been prevented if during the time that she was being beaten up, sinumbong na sana sa [it should have been reported to the] police that this was happening. This is a very tragic thing that would probably not have happened if sinumbong na [if it was reported at once]," Puno said in a statement. Rochelle Barrameda, sister of Ruby Rose, said that her sister was physically abused by her husband, prompting them to file a case against her brother-in-law for assault. She also said that Ruby Rose had sought a temporary protection order from a Las Piñas court against her husband. But Puno said the Barramedas should have also reported the beating incidents to the Women and Child Protection Desks (WCPD) of the Philippine National Police. Puno said WCPD are police centers where children and women who had been neglected or physically and mentally abused could turn to for help. In less than 10 years, the PNP has noted a big leap in the number of domestic abuse cases reported to them: from 1,100 in 1996 to over 6,500 by 2005. But despite this number, it said some victims still opt to not report the beating incidents. “There is an element of forgiveness for the sake of family togetherness," said Chief Supt. Yolanda Tanigue, chief of the PNP WCPD, in a separate report. Puno said he found out about the case when Rochelle approached him about a year and a half ago to seek help in finding her then missing sister. “It’s so sad that Rochelle came to us when her sister was missing already," he said. He said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) looked for witnesses who could help shed light on Ruby Rose’s whereabouts, searching as far as Bicol, until one of those involved in the killing came forward to confess and narrate the fate that had befallen her. The body of Ruby Rose was found inside a drum sealed inside a cemented steel case at the Navotas Fish Port on June 10, more than two years after she went missing. On June 11, the PNP-National Capital Region Office formally filed murder charges against Barrameda-Jimenez’s father-in-law, his brother Atty. Manuel Jimenez II, Lope Jimenez, owner of the Buena Suerte Jimenez Fishing and Trading Company, and five others. - Kimberly Jane Tan, GMANews.TV