Catherine Camilon. (File photo from her Facebook account)
MANILA, Philippines — Police Major Allan De Castro, the primary suspect in the disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon, skipped the Senate probe to “take care of his pregnant wife.”
During the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs’ Tuesday hearing, the committee secretary notified Sen. Ronald Bato dela Rosa that De Castro was skipping the probe.
“With regards to Police Major Allan de Castro, he sent us a letter indicating that his wife is eight months pregnant and is in pain. That’s why he cannot attend this hearing,” said the committee secretary.
This did not sit well, however, with dela Rosa, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
Dela Rosa considered De Castro’s excuse as a “very flimsy alibi.”
“She’s not giving birth yet. Why can’t he come? If you are listening right now, Major De Castro — I know you are monitoring. You should come here, your reason is not valid. My three children were born without me by my wife’s side. I was there in the mountains operating against the New People’s Army,” dela Rosa said in Filipino.
In his letter sent to dela Rosa’s panel, De Castro vowed to attend succeeding hearing schedules “as soon as [he] can.”
“[This,] after I have ensured that my family’s well-being are safe from danger,” he said.
De Castro earlier admitted having a relationship with the missing beauty queen. Police, however, disclosed that De Castro invoked his right to remain silent about his involvement in the case.
Meanwhile, another suspect in the case identified as Jeffrey Magpantay likewise skipped the Senate probe.
Magpantay is De Castro’s personal bodyguard and driver.
Witnesses claim that Magpantay was one of the three men who transferred the beauty queen’s body from her car to another vehicle.
“I just want everyone to know that Jefrrey Magpantay sent a letter and noted that he can’t attend the probe because his lawyer is not in good condition and his vaccine card is missing. But he assured us that he will attend the next meeting,” dela Rosa said, reading Magpantay’s letter sent to the panel.