Aside from the criminal charges filed against him before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office Tuesday, the Department of Education official nabbed in an alleged drug den in Brgy. Banago in the city Thursday last week will also face administrative charges for grave misconduct.

This was disclosed by DepEd Region 6 Director Mildred Garay yesterday, who added that Cadiz City, Negros Occidental District Supervisor Joshua Santillana, 55, of Fortune Towne Subdivision in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod, has already been placed under indeterminate suspension while his case is being investigated by the agency.

She said a five-man team was also formed to investigate the case of Santillana, who will be given a chance to answer the complaints.

Garay added that, she, being the disciplining authority of DepEd in the Region, can act as a complainant against Santillana if no one will file administrative charges against him.

Roel Bermejo, the Schools Division Superintendent of Cadiz City, has already coordinated with the Bacolod City Police on Tuesday and asked for the copies of the drug test results showing Santillana positive for shabu use, and his case folder, City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said.

The criminal charges for illegal drug use and the two counts of child abuse filed against Santillana before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office Tuesday will be used as evidence in the filing of the administrative complaints against him, de la Paz added.

As of press time, he said, Santillana is still detained at the lock-up cell of Police Station 3 while processing his P160,000 bail for both the illegal drug use, and the two counts of child abuse charges filed against him.

Santillana, Rey Torrico, 27, of Cadiz City; Hans Cortez, 30 and Mark Himongala, 25, both of Silay City and Osmar Dela Fuente, 28, of Purok Nami-Nami in Brgy. Banago; were apprehended at the house of Dela Fuente’s neighbor Rommel Navarra, where they allegedly held a pot session, on Thursday last week.

Two male teenagers, both 16, whose names are being withheld, were rescued from the house of Navarra after the father of one of them claimed that Santillana is inducing the minors to take drugs, hire commercial sex workers for them and sexually molest them.*APN

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