A RETIRED judge in Zamboanga del Norte was sentenced to reclusion perpetua over the killing of a fellow judge in in 2019.
Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte Regional Trial Court Branch 28 sentenced
Retired Judge Oscar Tomarong was ordered by the Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte Regional Trial Court Branch 28 to suffer the penalty of 40 years in jail without eligibility for parole for the death of Judge Reymar Lacaya.
The court also directed Tomarong to pay the heirs of the late judge more than P9.5 million in civil indemnity and damages, including loss of earning capacity.
The court has convicted Tamorong for ordering the killing of Layaca.
Tomarong was the former presiding judge of the same court that convicted him while Lacaya presided over Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte RTC Branch 11.
Judge Anthony Isaw, the acting presiding judge of Zamboanga RTC Branch 28, found Cabating’s testimony “sufficient and competent” to prove that it was Tomarong who masterminded the killing.
The conviction was based on the extrajudicial confession of Juliber Cabating who worked as Tomarong’s aide.
Cabating said it was Tomarong who asked him to look for killers to kill Lacaya because he was allegedly fed up with the slain judge.
The aide also said it was Tomarong who handed over to him the payment for the hired killers.
The Zamboanga court found out that Tomarong paid the two killers P200,000 to kill Lacaya.
Lacaya’s wife also testified in court that Lacaya confided in having problems with Tomarong’s cases.
On May 9, 2019, two hired killers shot dead Lacaya as he was about to board his vehicle after a hearing.
Police are hunting down the gunmen identified only as alias “Jerry” and alias “Ramil.”
