Town official, trader cleared of murder raps

KORONADAL CITY — A municipal administrator and a businessman, tagged as the alleged masterminds in the killing of a mayoralty candidate in last year’s polls in South Cotabato, have been cleared of murder charges by the Department of Justice.

In a nine-page resolution, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales dismissed the charges against Tampakan municipal administrator Bienvenido Barroso and businessman Henry Barroso due to insufficient evidence.

Gonzales directed the provincial prosecutor of South Cotabato "to cause the withdrawal of the information" filed against the two.

The Barrosos were implicated in the killing of Gregorio Banal, a Lakas-CMD mayoral candidate, on July 28 last year.

Banal was gunned down by three unidentified men in front of his auto repair shop in the Tampakan town proper. — Ramil Bajo