Laguna murders: Victims’ kin not surprised at husband’s ‘link’ to slay

SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna – News of his brother-in-law’s involvement in the killing of Pearl Helene Sta. Ana and her child in Sta. Rosa City in Laguna province no longer came as a surprise to Sta. Ana’s brother.

“You want to know the truth? Actually, even during the investigation, with all the pieces of evidence being put together…We are no longer children here. Yes, we’ve had our suspicions,” James Bon, Sta. Ana’s older brother, told the Inquirer.

On Friday night, tricycle driver Ramoncito Gallo, 25, turned himself in to the authorities providing the latest twist to the murders of Sta. Ana and her one-year-old son, Denzel. Gallo was identified through a security camera as one of the two suspects who posed as Internet service repairmen so they could enter the victims’ house on March 2.

Gallo, a resident of Muntinlupa City, owned up participation but also tagged Pearl’s husband, Richard, as the one who hired them, said Police Officer 3 Raffy Villariez of the Sta. Rosa City police.

READ: Laguna murder suspect tags victim’s husband as brains

In the course of the investigation, Sta. Rosa police had earlier named Richard a “person of interest” after finding his actions suspicious. The police were also looking into the possibility of Pearl having an affair as a motive.

Planned

“We’ve known him for quite a while. We’ve had our bonding as a family so I don’t know if I should pity him or not,” Bon said in a telephone interview early Saturday. “But we lost our sister and our nephew and for that we don’t care anymore who’s involved.”

Pearl, 29, was with her son, in their house when they were attacked by the suspects who used a hammer. Richard had told investigators that he was in Quezon City at that time applying for a job.

After the funeral, Richard had gone home to his family in Metro Manila. He said his lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) should be the one to answer questions for him.

“His last text (message) to us was on Monday. He said the PAO would not allow him to communicate with us anymore,” Bon said.

Bon believed the killing was carefully planned, with Richard making sure that Bon, who lived close to Pearl’s, could not easily check up on them that day.

“Maybe he thought all these would go away and the case would end up in the kangkungan (back burner), once they (Pearl and Denzel) were buried,” Bon added. CDG

READ: Mom, kid slain in Laguna laid to rest; kin say probe ‘going somewhere’