Monday, June 13, 2011

Ricky Rivero


“Mula sa Puso” second unit director and actor Ricardo “Ricky” Rivero managed to drive himself to the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) despite sustaining multiple stab wounds in the chest area allegedly inflicted by a man identified in a report as Hans Ivan Ruiz.

"Umagang Kay Ganda" on June 13 cited statements from PHC security personnel that Rivero arrived at the hospital at around 4:20 Monday morning, telling the hospital staff that he was stabbed. Initial reports said that Rivero sustained 10 stab wounds; however, a PEP alert posted at around 2 p.m. reported that the actor-director has 17.

The stabbing allegedly occurred inside Rivero’s apartment on Masikap St. V. Luna , Brgy. Piñahan in Quezon City in the early hours of Monday. The police are said to be looking into robbery as motive since initial reports said that the director’s laptop was "stolen." Ruiz is now in police custody.

A separate report on abs-cbnnews.com said 22-year old Ruiz claimed having met the 39-year old Rivero on popular social networking Facebook. The suspect asserted that they’ve known each other for five months now.

The report also cited barangay authorities claiming that “Rivero brought Ruiz home after meeting him at around 11 p.m. in Timog Avenue, Quezon City,” and that Ruiz purportedly stabbed Rivero after the latter refused to give him money. The knife Ruiz allegedly used was found hidden “inside a fire truck at the barangay hall” by authorities.

More, Ruiz was said to have attempted to escape with the director’s laptop among other things; however, he “came back [to Rivero’s apartment] to clean the crime scene” where he was caught by responding barangay officials.

A third report published on gmanews.tv on Monday related that Quezon City Police District PO3 Antonio Torrente said the stabbing incident occurred at around 3 a.m. Prior, Rivero and Ruiz had an argument. According to Rivero, as quoted by Torrente, he was roused from sleep when he felt Ruiz stabbing him.

In a separate report by Inquirer.net also on Monday, Ruiz said he took no part in the crime, adding that Rivero asked him to spend the night at his apartment.

Ruiz further asserted that he did not stab Rivero, saying, “Natutulog lang po kaming dalawa tapos sumigaw siya sa akin na ‘Huwag mo akong saksakin.’ Claiming that he offered to take the actor-director to the hospital, Ruiz told the Inquirer that he has no idea where the knife he saw beside Rivero was from.

Aside from being stabbed, the Inquirer cited initial reports saying that Rivero was also strangled after trying to escape from Ruiz. It was only when Rivero finally got outside of his apartment that he was able to “shout for help from his neighbors.”

Ruiz, who was caught by the police holding Rivero’s laptop bag, defended himself by saying that it was Rivero who “instructed him to get valuables from his home before heading to the hospital.”

The suspect said that he and Rivero are just friends and that he sleeps over only when the director asks him to, which is a rare occurrence as he put it.

Meanwhile, Rivero has been transferred to and is getting treatment at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, accompanied by his landlady and his brother. He is now in a stable condition. According to another PEP alert posted at 3 p.m., the suspect will be brought today to St. Luke's for identification by Rivero.

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