PNP: Case build-up ongoing vs Manila ‘drug queen’ and cohorts

MANILA, Philippines – Investigators are still conducting a case build-up on Manila’s alleged “drug queen” Guia Gomez Castro and her accomplices to allow the filing of criminal complaints against them, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday.

“The PNP continues to do case build-up against her [Castro] so that we can file charges if evidence warrants,” PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in a statement.

Banac said the PNP will continue to coordinate with its police counterparts abroad on Filipinos who are involved in drug cases.

“At present, whenever PNP has bilateral meetings, we continue to update our police counterparts abroad on Filipino citizens staying in their countries who may be involved or suspected to have connections in illegal drugs here in the country,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said there are no complaints filed against Castro but they will conduct a case build-up to gain evidence against the alleged drug trader and her cohorts.

“In so far as we are concerned, there is no complaint but we will conduct case build-up because possibly there are other inmates earlier in conducted police operations who implicated her [Castro],” Eleazar said in a press conference in Camp Karingal, Quezon City.

“That will become our basis to get an arrest warrant if we eventually revive the case of Castro,” Eleazar added.

Castro, who is a former barangay chairperson in Sampaloc, Manila, was identified as the alleged “drug queen” who is reportedly in connivance with police officers in the illegal drug trade.

Eleazar said Castro is already out of the country. This was confirmed by the Bureau of Immigration.

Eleazar previously disclosed that 16 “ninja cops” or rogue cops are involved with the Manila-based drug queen. Of this number, nine have been killed in separate incidents, two have been retired, two are dismissed, two are tagged as being absent without official leave (AWOL), and one is already detained. /muf

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