The official of the Department of Education who was nabbed in an alleged drug den in Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City,Thursday last week was released on bail yesterday.

Station 3 chief, Senior Insp. Jose Mulleta, said that the release of Joshua Santillana, 55, of Fortune Towne Subdivision in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod, assigned as District Supervisor in Cadiz City, was ordered by Regional Trial Court Judges Edgar Garvilles and Ray Alan Drilon.

Mulleta said that Garvilles set Santillana’s bail at P40,000 for the illegal drug use charges, while Drilon set his bail at P80,000 each for the two counts of child abuse charges.

Cadiz City schools Division Superintendent Roel Bermejo told the DAILY STAR that the fact-finding investigation conducted by the five-man team formed by the DepEd Region 6 is expected to release its recommendation on the case of Santillana in 30 days.

Santillana was meted an indeterminate suspension since his arrest last week, but Bermejo said he can file an appeal for his reinstatement.

DepEd Region 6 Director Mildred Garay said that, aside from he criminal charges filed against Santillana, he may also face administrative charges for grave misconduct if there is enough evidence.

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 was inducing the minors to take drugs, hiring commercial sex workers for them, and sexually molesting them.

Santillana was found positive for illegal drug use based on the test conducted by the crime laboratory of Police Regional Office-6.*APN

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