Tuesday, July 20, 2004 Cop dies of heart attack when grandkids taken hostage By Sarah Joy R. Gutierrez
SAN FERNANDO -- An alleged row over the illegal numbers game jueteng led a man to take hostage four people, including two children, for 10 hours inside their home in Barangay Santo Rosario in San Fernando City Monday.
Rodolfo "Boyong" Ronquillo, a native of Nueva Ecija, decided to take the law into his own hands when he took hostage the grandchildren of his friend, Senior Police Officer 4 Rod Aquino, as well the policeman's two maids early Monday morning because of a dispute over jueteng.
Ronquillo, sources said, reportedly asked the help of Aquino for fear that he was being "targetted" by two policemen.
He told Aquino that the policemen were "out to kill him" allegedly over a jueteng row. "Nangaganib ang buhay ko, tulungan ninyo ko," he reportedly told Aquino. (My life is in danger, please help me.)
Ronquillo managed to get Aquino's service firearm, a .45 caliber revolver, from a dresser in the policeman's home.
He then ordered Aquino to get out of the house, threatening to kill the policeman's grandchildren, 1-year-old Niechel Mae Fontillas and 3-year-old Lie Anne Fontillas.
Ronquillo then ordered the two maids -- Cristina Carreon, 20 and Grace Deņega, 18, from Arayat and Negros, respectively -- to shut the house's door.
Breakdown
Aquino, after being ordered out from his own home by his friend, suffered a nervous breakdown and a heart attack that eventually led to his death.
He was immediately taken by neighbors to the Makabali Hospital but died while being treated there.
Ronquillo, unaware of the fate of his friend, even demanded hamburgers for lunch and asked to see his wife, Emmy, who was in Cabambangan, Nueva Ecija at the time of the incident.
Around 1:45 p.m., one of the maids - Grace - managed to escape when Ronquillo's attention was diverted. She was in shock and had run immediately to policemen outside the home.
"Sinabunutan niya kami, tinututok yung baril niya sa amin," Grace said. (He pulled our hair, pointed the gun at us.)
"Papatayin daw niya kami pag di dumating si Mayor (Oscar Rodriguez)," she added. (He said he will kill us if the mayor would not come.)
Mercy
At 2 p.m., with the aid of the city police, Aquino's wife pleaded with Ronquillo to release one of their grandchildren, Niechel Mae, who was at that time crying from hunger.
The child was immediately released and appeared unhurt after being examined by a medical group standing by.
It was doing police's negotiations with the suspect that Mayor Oscar Rodriguez and Gov. Mark Lapid arrived.
Rodriguez and Lapid pleaded with the suspect to release the other two hostages, adding that taking people hostage will not solve his problems.
"I-resolve mo ang problema mo pero hindi sa ganitong paraan," Rodriguez told Ronquillo. (Let us solve your problem but not this way.)
Through the intercession of Rodriguez, Lapid and Supt. Nicanor Targa, Ronquillo surrendered to the authorities at 5:24 p.m.
"I was able to convince him to surrender peacefully, sabi ko walang mangyayari sa kanya akong bahala at akong mananagot (I told him nothing will happen to him)," Rodriguez said.
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Lao pa asks: Get the mastermind