Coed’s slay suspect re-arrested

Sta. Cruz, Laguna — A primary suspect in the 2004 killing of a Philippine Women’s University (PWU) coed was re-arrested in Manila past midnight Tuesday, nearly a month after he escaped from his security escorts in a court hearing in Biñan, Laguna.

Superintendent Ceasar Perez, Laguna jail warden, said Gilbert Ronquillo, 36, a suspect in the killing of 22-year-old PWU student Jaimarie Reyes on Oct. 10, 2004, was collared by his team inside the La Flecha Hotel in Sta. Cuz, Manila.

"This is the product of our continuous surveillance, intelligence build-up and information from civilian assets," Perez told The STAR.

With the help of their informants, he said they were able to contact Ronquillo through his mobile phone and track down his location.

Ronquillo was cornered at Room 12 of the La Flecha Hotel together with his friend Luis Salao, who was his cellmate in the Laguna provincial jail.

Ronquillo escaped from his security escorts after attending a court hearing in Biñan last Nov. 8.

Ronquillo, who reportedly belongs to the "Sputnik Gang," was tagged as the one who gunned down Reyes based on the statements of his two friends who have turned state witnesses.