Ex-Zamboanga Norte judge wanted for killing colleague held

MANILA, Philippines — Retired Zamboanga del Norte regional trial court (RTC) judge Oscar Tomarong, who was accused of ordering the killing of his colleague Reymar Lacaya in May last year, is now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Supreme Court administrator Midas Marquez informed Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta that he received a report from the NBI that Tomarong surrendered due to “extreme pressure” from teams monitoring the residence and possible hideouts of the former judge.

Marquez said he ordered the transfer of Tomarong from the RTC in Liloy town to Sindangan last year after receiving ”derogatory reports.”

Lacaya replaced Tomarong.

Marquez said Lacaya reversed some of Tomarong’s orders, including the release of drug suspects, after he found out anomalies in the decisions of the suspect.

Tomarong opted for early retirement shortly after Lacaya was killed. He was charged with murder after his driver Juliver Cabating was captured on closed-circuit television camera meeting with the suspected gunmen on the day the victim was killed.

Cabating was arrested in Mati, Davao Oriental on Sept. 2, 2019.