Previous offender among Baseco arrests

Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso was perplexed at how a drug dealer previously nabbed with 200 grams of shabu was free to roam Barangay Baseco in Tondo and is not serving jail time.

Richard Castro was arrested last April in a buy-bust operation, and should be serving jail time since his case is nonbailable.

Castro was among the 35 narcotics suspects rounded up at Baseco just a week after Domagoso issued an ultimatum to the Manila Police District. Among those netted in the operation were nine drug personalities.

Upon hearing of this, the mayor said he will ask the City Prosecutor’s Office to explain why Castro is out free.

“This is always a blow to the government campaign against illegal drugs wherein those known in the community as drug peddlers, and yet upon inquest at the city prosecutor’s, they will be released and return back to their usual business of selling illegal drugs where most of their clients are poor people” he said.

The mayor ordered his legal services staff to look into the facts of Castro’s case to determine how he had managed to obtain release, as well as discover who was at fault, whether it was the police investigators who committed a technical mistake, intentional or deliberate, or the prosecutors for wrong discretion.

Meanwhile, the Manila chief executive denied reports that he is singling out Barangay Baseco via a massive police operation against all lawless elements.

He explained he is merely responding to complaints from netizens who reported the rampant selling of drugs in the area.

He added that he would ask the Department of the Interior and Local Government to remove from office all barangay officials in Baseco should it be found that the suspects are residents.