(Eagle News) — Malacañang on Monday revealed that Dangerous Drugs Board Chief Dionisio Santiago was dismissed over allegations he went on junkets and received gifts from drug personalities.
In a press conference, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said this was apart from the critical comments Santiago made to the media against the mega rehabilitation center.
The allegations of corruption were made by the DDB Employees Union that sent a letter to the Office of the President on Oct. 25.
According to the union, Santiago, his family and “six unqualified and favorite DDB employees” including one Judith Mendoza, his “girl Friday and coffee server” traveled to Vienna, Austria to “attend an ordinary Narcotic Drug Intersessional meeting at government expense.”
Last month, they said he, his “mistress and selective (sic) DDB employees” went to the United States “purportedly on official business.”
The union said the expenses were charged against DDB funds.
“For your information, (only the attendance) of the DDB chairman (is required and nothing more). This is an extravagant use of government resources and abuse of authority,” it said.
According to the union, “what is more appalling…is his designation of Mr. Benjamin Reyes as acting chairman of the board while he is on a junket spree..”
Reyes, they said, had been fired by Duterte himself on May 24.
“Mr. Reyes, despite your order of dismissal, (has) been continuously performing his job and receiving his salaries and allowances at the DDB without a valid appointment at present,” it said.
The union also quoted news reports about Santiago, whom it called a “liability,” receiving a “big Ozamiz mansion given by the Parojinog family.”
Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and several others were killed after police said they fought it out against authorities who were serving a search warrant in their house.
Drugs and paraphernalia were found in the mayor’s house then.
“(Santiago) had unexplained wealth, owned (a) fleet of cars, and expensive properties,” the union said, also noting that he had pending cases before the Ombudsman for allegations while he was the director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and while he was with the military.
“Can he be an effective chairman of the DDB as he is being reportedly a protector of a drug syndicate? We doubt, Mr. President,” the union said.