‘Drug queen’ a diversionary tactic? PNP says it did not start issue

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Saturday said the national police did not start the issue on Guia Gomez Castro, a former Manila barangay (village) chairperson and alleged “drug queen” after Senator Richard Gordon claimed that her surfacing could be a diversionary tactic amid the probe on “ninja cops.”

“Hindi kami ang nag-open nun (We did not open up that topic). It’s not the PNP,” Albayalde told reporters in an interview shortly after cadets of the Philippine Military Academy gave him a  testimonial parade.

On Thursday, Gordon raised questions as to why the issue on Castro, a former village chairperson in Sampaloc, Manila, surfaced while the Senate was looking into the activities of “ninja cops” or police officers allegedly involved in the reselling of seized drugs.

Gordon also speculated that Castro was floated as a diversionary tactic or a way of eliminating a possible witness against involved senior police officials

READ: Gordon believes ‘drug queen’ a diversionary tactic on ‘ninja cops’

Gordon said among those who will be invited to appear in the Senate on October 1 are police officers involved in an alleged irregular anti-drug operation in Mexico, Pampanga in 2013.

Albayalde was relieved as Pampanga police director for command responsibility over the alleged irregular anti-drug operation.

Gordon said Albayalde was also invited to appear before the Senate but only as head of the Philippine National Police.

Albayalde earlier dismissed the 2013 case as a “recycled” issue.

He added that he is also clueless as to why he is being dragged into the “ninja cops” issue just weeks before his November 8 retirement when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.

“While people are saying that they are satisfied with the war on drugs, there are a few, one or two people, that are saying [these things and are] discrediting the PNP,” he said, refusing to identify who he was referring to.

The PNP chief also revealed that retired Brig. Gen. Manuel Garlan, who was Deputy Regional Director for Operations of the Central Luzon Police and who headed the investigation on the case, has approached him and volunteered to testify before the Senate.

“I think somebody has to explain this, not me, not them, not anybody else. Siguro (Maybe) somebody who is not interested dito sa kaso na ito (in this case),” he said.

To recall, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino revealed in a Senate hearing on September 16 that a Manila-based “drug queen” is buying recycled drugs from some rogue police officers.

READ: PDEA chief: Manila ‘drug queen’ buys seized drugs from law enforcers

Manila Police District director Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. later identified Castro as the one being referred to by Aquino in the Senate hearing. Castro left the country on September 21, according to the Bureau of Immigration.  /muf