The decomposing bodies of Pampanga beauty queen Geneva Lopez and her Israeli partner Yitshak Cohen were discovered in Barangay Sta. Lucia, Capas, Tarlac, according to police reports.
According to The Philippine STAR, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) unearthed the remains early Saturday morning on a property where the couple had reportedly been buried.
ABS-CBN News shared photos showing the suspected burial site, a remote quarry, where the two cadavers were found and exhumed by the police.
The operation was carried out under a search warrant issued by Judge Edwin Bonifacio of Tarlac City Regional Trial Court Branch 111 on Friday, July 5.
Identification of the bodies was made through the victims’ clothing and personal items found at the scene.
The discovery of the remains concludes the search for Lopez and Cohen, who were reported missing on June 21. They were reportedly last seen visiting Capas to inspect a property they were interested in purchasing.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil expressed their commitment to hold the perpetrators to accountable, stating “We are committed to ensuring that justice prevails, not just in this case, but in all instances where the innocent suffer.
Pampanga governor Dennis Pineda, who was present during the exhumation, confirmed the identities of the bodies through their clothing.
“This was confirmed by the police based on the victims’ clothing,” Pineda announced on Facebook. He also expressed his condolences and pledged support to the families of the victims, urging the public to pray for their souls.
The PNP’s public information officer, Col. Jean Fajardo, confirmed that relatives of Lopez and Cohen identified them by the clothes they were wearing when they disappeared.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death and tissue samples will be taken for DNA testing to conclusively verify their identities. The bodies have been transferred to a funeral parlor in Tarlac for further examination.
Five persons of interest, including two former police officers, have been apprehended in connection with the case. The arrests were made separately in Tarlac for illegal possession of firearms.
Col. Fajardo indicated that the two ex-police officers were detained yesterday, while a third civilian suspect was also taken into custody on Friday.
“There are two other POIs (persons of interest) in police custody,” she added in a phone interview.
