Senate panel orders subpoena of primary suspect in Catherine Camilon case

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs has ordered the issuance of a subpoena against the main suspect behind the disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon along with his driver.

Police Major Allan de Castro has been summoned by the panel along with his driver-bodyguard Jefrrey Magpantay after both of them skipped the Senate's hearing on Tuesday. 

In a letter to Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, De Castro said he could not go to the hearing to attend to his wife's eight-month pregnancy.

Magpantay, meanwhile, could not attend because his vaccine cards are missing and that his lawyer was ill, Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said that De Castro's reason was not enough to be absent from the Senate's investigation into the incident.

"If you are listening right now Major De Castro, you should come here. Hindi 'yan rason na buntis ang asawa mo (Your wife being pregnant is not a valid reason)," Dela Rosa said.

"Hintayin nila 'yung subpoena and pag-isnabin pa rin nila 'yung subpoena, hintayin nila 'yung warrant of arrest (They should wait for the subpoena and if they still snub the subpoena, then they will have to wait for the warrant of arrest)," the senator added.

Camilon was supposed to meet De Castro on Oct. 12, 2023 when she was reported missing.

De Castro was dismissed from his post on January 16 after a probe found evidence that he had an extramarital affair with Camilon.

De Castro, Magpantay and two others have been slapped with kidnapping and illegal detention charges in connection to Camilon's case. — with reports from The STAR/Janvic Mateo