Ex-cop among 7 persons of interest in missing beauty pageant bet, Israeli BF case

A former police officer is among the seven persons of interest in the disappearance of a beauty pageant contestant and her Israeli boyfriend in Central Luzon, the Philippine National Police's (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Thursday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, CIDG chief Police Major General Leo Francisco said authorities have yet to communicate with all of the persons of interest.

"Pito ang POIs natin kasama na 'yung dating pulis na naging kausap nitong magkasintahan na nawawala (We have seven POIs including the former policeman who spoke to this missing couple)," he said.

Francisco said the ex-cop, who served as the middleman for the couple who were planning to buy property in Capas town in Tarlac, has been cooperative with the investigation.

"'Yung kanyang katransaksyon naman na 'yun ay willing na magsalita at nagsasalita. Ang kanyang nilahad sa paunang imbestigasyon siya ay nakipagusap nga sa magkasintahan na ito at naghiwalay na sila pagkatapos nung site visit nila sa lupang bibilhin. Nabalitaan na lang nila na nakita yung abandoned vehicle," he said.

(The middleman is willing to speak, and is speaking. What he revealed in the preliminary investigation is that he did talk to this couple and they broke up after their visit to the property. Then, they just heard that the abandoned vehicle was found.)

The former police officer was assigned in Angeles City. Authorities earlier said that they have no information yet why the ex-cop left the police service.

According to Francisco, the police are looking into three strong motives behind the disappearance of the couple but he cannot divulge the information yet.

Mutya ng Pilipinas Pampanga bet Geneva Lopez, 26, and her boyfriend Yitshak Cohen, 37, were last seen on June 21 when they left Angeles City, Pampanga and drove to Capas to look at the property they were planning to buy.

Their SUV was later seen burning along a road in Capas, with no sign of its occupants.

Another vehicle linked to the case was found in Tarlac City. Police went to the address of the registered owner of the vehicle but they learned that the registered owner had sold the vehicle to other people.

Francisco said there was no indication yet that Lopez and Cohen were killed.

"Sa ngayon, wala pa tayong nakikitang indikasyon na sila ay pinatay, namatay, or whatever kasi malabo pa po yung ganung anggulo dahil sa ngayon ay wala po tayong nakikitang body or anything na makakapag-ugnay kung sila ay buhay o patay," he said.

(Right now, we have not seen any indication that they were killed, died, or whatever because that angle is still obscure because right now we have yet to see a body or anything that can show if they are alive or dead.)

PNP chief General Rommel Marbil ordered the creation of a special investigation task group (SITG) for the probe on the disappearance of the couple.

Led by the CIDG, the SITG is composed of the HPG, Anti-Cybercrime Group, Forensic Group, among other units.

Cohen's family is offering a P250,000 reward to anyone who can provide information on the missing couple. — VDV, GMA Integrated News