REMAINS OF MISSING PAMPANGA BEAUTY QUEEN, ISRAELI BF FOUND IN CAPAS QUARRY SITE; 2 SUSPECTS ARRESTED

BY KEVIN GALANG

CAPAS, Tarlac – Operatives of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Saturday discovered the bodies of missing Kapampangan beauty pageant contestant Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend Yitshak Cohen buried in a quarry site in this town.

In a report to Philippine National Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil, the CIDG said they implemented a search warrant on a parcel of land in Bgy. Santa Lucia after a witness  reported that two bodies were buried there.

The warrant was issued by the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court Branch 111.

Police were able to exhume the two bodies, which were already in an advanced stage of decomposition around 8 a.m. Saturday.

The families of the missing couple reportedly identified the bodies of Lopez and Cohen. 

According to the PNP-CIDG, the bodies will be autopsied and subjected to DNA analysis.

Meanwhile, at least two  “persons of interest” in the case, both reported to be former policemen, have been arrested by the PNP-CIDG headed by Maj. Gen. Leo M. Francisco in connection with the gruesome abduction-murder case.

The suspects identified as alias “Michael” and “Rommel” yielded illegal firearms and a grenade. They will be facing non-bailable charges for illegal possession of explosives and firearms and ammunition under Republic Act 10591 and RA 9516 respectively.

The discovery of the bodies came as a total of P1.4 million in reward money was raised for any information that would lead to the whereabouts of the couple.

The beauty pageant bet and her boyfriend  went missing last June 21 after they left their house in Angeles City for Capas, Tarlac to meet with a middleman, a former policeman, about  the 20.5 hectares of farmland the couple were buying.

The gray Nissan Terra Lopez and Cohen were using was found burned on  Cojuangco highway in Bgy. Cristo Rey in Capas town.