The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking at former cop Michael Guiang as the “brains” in the killing of beauty pageant contestant Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend Yitshak Cohen.
“Malinaw naman na po, sabi ko nga po ang tinatakbo nating motibo ay ito nga pong pinaka-utak at main player po dito ay itong si Guiang po na siya po may direct contact dito sa pamilya at siya po ang nakapag-engganyo dito sa dalawang biktima na pumunta noong June 21 at makipagkita po sa kanya,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing.
(It’s clear, like I told you, the motive we are pursuing is that the brain and main player here is Guiang who has direct contact with (Lopez’) family and is the one who enticed the two victims to meet him on June 21.)
“Doon pa rin ang direction natin. Meron talagang axe to grind itong si Guiiang, because gusto niyang bawiin yung na-isanla niyang lupa dito kina Geneva na na-remata na dahil na hindi na nga niya nabawi at nabayaran yung kanyang utang,” she added.
(The direction of the investigation is still there. Guiang really has an axe to grind because he wants to take back the land he mortgaged to Geneva which has been foreclosed because he failed to pay his debt.)
According to Fajardo, other suspects were offered money for their participation in the crime. One of these was “Junjun”, who was offered P50,000, and was the one who told police the location of the quarry site where the bodies were buried.
During the preliminary investigation, Guiang told police he talked to the couple and that they separated after their visit to the property.
Lopez and Cohen were last seen alive on June 21 when they drove to Capas, Tarlac to check out property they were supposedly planning to purchase. They were reported missing the same day.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Police Major General Leo Francisco said Guiang mortgaged a property to Lopez. When the beauty contestant wanted to claim the land, Guiang refused.
Guiang told Lopez that the property has another buyer who is one of the arrested persons of interest, former policeman Rommel Aboso. Francisco said the two ex-cops plotted to kill the couple.
“Sinabi ni Guiang na may buyer din yung lupang sinangla niya at ipapakilala niya kay Geneva itong si Aboso as buyer,” Francisco said.
(Guiang told Lopez that there is also a buyer for the property he mortgaged and he introduced Aboso as the buyer.)
“From that point, nagkita sila sa Barangay Armenia at binaril ng dalawang dating pulis na ito ang magkasintahan. So kung makikita niyo it’s a planned activity,” he added.
(From that point, they met in Barangay Armenia and the two former police officers shot the couple. So you can see, it was a planned activity.)
Authorities on July 5 found the couples’ bodies buried in an unmarked grave at a quarry site in Barangay Sta. Lucia in Capas.
Autopsy reports showed the couple were both shot twice. Lopez sustained gunshot wounds at the back of her torso and her thigh while Cohen was shot on the chest and near the armpit.
Five persons of interest in the killings are now in police custody. Guiang, Aboso, and “Jeff” are already considered suspects. The three are facing two counts of murder, according to Francisco.
The other two persons of interest in police custody are “Junjun” and “Dondon”, who voluntarily surrendered to authorities.
Two more persons of interest are currently at large.—RF, GMA Integrated News
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