NCRPO probes rogue cops in junked case vs. ‘drug queen’

FILE: LOOKOUT ORDER OUT VS. ‘DRUG QUEEN’. The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Guia Gomez-Castro, the alleged “drug queen” of Metro Manila, on Friday (Sept. 27, 2019). The The NCRPO earlier named Castro as the mastermind in the recycling of seized illegal drugs by rogue police officers. (Screengrab from PTV via PNA)

MANILA — The National Capital Region Police (NCRPO) on Tuesday ordered a probe on rogue police officers who “interfered” in the drug case filed against alleged ‘drug queen’ Guia Gomez-Castro which was eventually dismissed.

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said he already tasked the NCRPO intelligence unit, drug enforcement unit and the legal service to work together to probe the case.

“We want to identify all the policemen who conducted the operation, how the case was filed and who served as witnesses on this case. We will also get the court records on this particular case because from there, we would be able to find out if there was sabotage in the handling of this case,” Eleazar said when sought for a comment.

The case against Castro, was docketed as Q-01-105406-08 before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, for violation of Section 15 and 16 of Republic Act 6425 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972.

Section 15 refers to sale, administration, dispensation, delivery, transportation and distribution of regulated drugs while Section 16 refers to possession or use of regulated drugs.

An arrest warrant was issued against Castro on March 1, 2002 but the case was dismissed in 2009.

“We want to know what happened because if this ‘drug queen’ has links with ‘ninja cops’, then it is highly possible that the case was sabotaged in her favor,” the Metro Manila top cop stressed.

He then disclosed a modus of erring cops before that they would deliberately file a weak case or policemen serving as witnesses would purposely snub the hearing to pave way for the dismissal of the case.

In exchange, the erring cops would be paid with huge sum of money.

“We have reasons that this modus was also used in favor of the ‘drug queen’.

By getting the court records, we can also find out who could be held liable and we assure that we will take action,” said Eleazar.

Castro was allegedly buying confiscated shabu from erring cops.

Castro has a standing arrest warrant issued in 2002 for violation of Republic Act 6425 or the selling, delivery, and distribution of illegal drugs. She also has warrants of arrest in 2003 and 2011, both for issuing bouncing checks, Eleazar said.

All the three warrants were issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

Eleazar, however, was quick to clarify that they still have a legal ground to arrest Castro once she comes back from abroad.

Eleazar said that are now coordinating with foreign counterparts to deport Castro back to the country from the United States.

The NCRPO chief got the information after the creation of “quad-intel force” in Metro Manila composed of various law enforcement agencies against all remaining illegal drug syndicates operating in the region.

“Our latest monitoring is that she is in America.

This is a proof that we are focusing on her, that she is our priority target,” Eleazar said.

“So it is better for her to just surrender, she has no way out but surrender,” he added.

He bared that on September 21, Castro left the country for Bangkok, Thailand and later went to Taiwan. On September 25, she arrived in the US, particularly in Los Angeles, California.