Senate detains axed cop linked to missing beauty pageant candidate

Catherine Camilon  (Image from her Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines— Dismissed Police Maj. Allan De Castro was ordered detained in the Senate “for lying” about his alleged romantic relationship with the missing beauty pageant candidate Catherine Camilon.

On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Public Order cited De Castro for contempt after he repeatedly denied his relationship with Camilon.

It was the first time De Castro faced the committee investigating the case of Camilon, who went missing in October last year.

“For the record,  is the missing beauty queen your girlfriend?” the panel chairman, Sen.  Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, asked in Filipino.

De Castro repeatedly said no.

But Camilon’s mother, Rosario, and sister, Ching-Ching, countered this, both insisting in Filipino that the missing beauty pageant candidate was De Castro’s girlfriend.

“She’s the girlfriend, sir,”  the mother said.

“She’s the girlfriend, which we learned late, when my sister was already missing,” Ching-Ching said.

According to Ching-Ching, she only learned about the relationship a day after her sister went missing.

Dela Rosa again directed his question to De Castro, reminding him that he was under oath.

But the dismissed police officer stood pat, “We have no relations, sir.”

“And then she just disappeared?” Dela Rosa asked again.

“He’s lying,” Camilon’s mother said.

Dela Rosa also asked other resource persons from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police who  all attested that De Castro and Camilon had a relationship based on affidavits  and photos  of  them “displaying affection.”

The senator later declared he was not satisfied with De Castro’s explanation.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla then moved to cite De Castro for contempt.

“There’s a motion to cite [for] contempt Police Major Allan De Castro for lying before this committee, for not telling the truth,” Dela Rosa ruled.

Dela Rosa immediately ordered the Senate sergeant at arms to “take physical custody” of De Castro.

In a text message, Dela Rosa confirmed that De Castro was already detained in the Senate.