DILG readies administrative raps vs ‘drug queen’

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday said they were preparing administrative charges against alleged “drug queen” Guia Gomez-Castro, who is still considered an active public official despite measures taken by the local government of Manila to remove her.

DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya explained that Castro took her oath as captain of Barangay 484 in Manila and is technically a public official even while being absent without official leave (AWOL).

Despite claims that Castro was not able to take her oath, Malaya said the National Barangay Operations Office and the DILG district office have confirmed that Castro is still an active barangay head.

“Since she is on AWOL, the first kagawad has taken over but it does not mean that she is not a public official. She is just on AWOL, still under the authority of DILG,” Malaya said in an interview.

Malaya said Castro could face charges of grave neglect of duty or grave misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman, which could lead to her dismissal from public service.

She may also face charges of inefficiency or incompetence because of her alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

“We are already preparing the filing of admin cases against her, without prejudice to the filing of criminal charges by the Philippine National Police,” he added.

Castro supposedly filed her leave of absence before former mayor Joseph Estrada when he was still in office but she has not returned. The application was for a one-month leave for her to go to Surigao but it turned out that Castro had gone abroad.

Castro has been tagged as Manila’s drug queen who was supposedly able to earn at least a billion pesos from the illegal drug trade that she started in the early 2000s.

Anti-narcotics agencies said Castro gave away sport utility vehicles to the ninja cops on her payroll.

Malaya said if the Manila city council wants to dismiss Castro through a resolution, they may do so and just inform the DILG.