Director files murder, theft charges vs ‘Facebook friend’

Actor-director Ricardo “Ricky” Rivero has filed frustrated murder and theft charges against a “Facebook friend” he claims stabbed him multiple times in his home as he was sleeping.

The case was assigned to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 224 last June 21.

Rivero, 39, of Barangay (village) Pinyahan, Quezon City, alleged that in the early hours of June 13, he woke up to discover Hans Ivan Ruiz, 22, of Bulacan, stabbing him with a kitchen knife.

Previously, the Quezon City Police District Station 10 in Kamuning had reported that the two had met over the social networking site Facebook five months ago, and that Ruiz was sleeping over at Rivero’s house that night.

In a statement to the police, Rivero narrated that as he tried to fight off Ruiz, he ran to the comfort room but Ruiz followed him and tried to choke him with a towel. Rivero was able to free himself and seek assistance from nearby neighbors, who dragged Ruiz away and even beat him up. Rivero then drove himself to the hospital for treatment.

Rivero is also accusing Ruiz of stealing P45,700 worth of his things, which included a backpack worth P2,000, a laptop worth P30,000, and one cell phone worth P13,700.

In a previous interview, Ruiz’s pregnant live-in girlfriend, Christine Ann Cortez, told Inquirer that Ruiz had possibly gone to meet Rivero the previous night to borrow money. Ruiz’s father had just been confined at a hospital in Bulacan.