Two men charged in slay of Tarlac vice mayor, pal

By George Trillo

SAN MANUEL, Tarlac – Police filed murder charges against two men tagged by witnesses as behind the killing of the vice mayor of the vice mayor here and his companion last Oct. 25.

Charged were Ronaldo Zotomayor, who was identified as the gunman who attacked Vice Mayor Reynaldo Malazo, and his accomplice, Rogel de Leon, who was the one who gunned down Malazo’s friend Romeo Barrientos. Both suspects are at large.

Through the police rogues’ gallery, witnesses positively identified Zotomayor and De Leon as among the three motorcycle-riding men who shot Malazo and Barrientos along MacArthur Highway in San Manuel.

Police said Zotomayor has been involved in several criminal activities, including the robbery-slay of former board member Fernando de Jesus, 70, in his residence in Barangay Carangian, Tarlac City on Aug. 25, 2005.

Police said Zotomayor was nabbed and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. But he later jumped bail.

Police said Zotomayor was also a suspect in robbery-holdups in Gerona, Tarlac last May 20 and in Poblacion, Tarlac City the following day.

De Leon, on the other hand, was also implicated in a holdup in Barangay Dicolor, Gerona, Tarlac on Oct. 11, 2006.

De Leon was arrested and later jumped bail, too.