Barramedas lose confidence in tracker team

Relatives of Ruby Rose Barrameda have asked the government to assign another group to look for accused-turned-star witness Manuel Montero, citing what they said was their lack of confidence in the police team currently tasked with conducting the search.

Robert Barrameda, the victim’s father, said the new tracker team should be “credible and trustworthy” unlike the Regional Police Intelligence Operations Unit (RPIOU) of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

“Montero disappeared under (the RPIOU’s) watch so how can they be the ones to look for him?” he asked.

Montero, who confessed to being among those who killed Ruby Rose, dropped out of sight in March shortly after he recanted his previous statements in which he linked the victim’s father-in-law Manuel Jimenez Jr., uncle-in-law Lope Jimenez, estranged husband Manuel Jimenez III and several others to her murder.

Robert Barrameda cited several instances which indicated that the unit, led by Supt. Ronald Lee and based at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, was not doing its job.

In one, Lee told the Barramedas that Montero was in Capiz with “with lots of money.” At one time, the police official told them that the star witness was in Iloilo.

“So if they knew where Montero was, why didn’t they catch him?” Robert asked.

He said unlike the RPIOU, the National Bureau of Investigation has been more productive in working on the case, particularly in arresting the other accused such as Lennard “Spyke” Descalzo and Robert Ponce.

Robert, however, said he would not mind if another NCRPO unit would be tasked with looking for Montero. “Any unit, just not the RPIOU,” he told the Inquirer.

Sought for comment, the new RPIOU head said he respected the Barramedas’ call as he clarified that it was the Department of Justice that was leading the search.

“There’s no dedicated team [from the RPIOU looking for Montero],” Supt. Harry Domingo said.”

“We don’t know what Montero’s relationship was with RPIOU before,” he added as he advised the Barrameda family to follow up the case with Lee who has since been assigned at Camp Crame.

“But on our part, when there is information, we check it. So far, Montero’s location is still undetermined,” he said.—With Jaymee Gamil