Missing retired judge found dead in Tarlac, says NBI

MANILA, Philippines — The body of retired Court of Appeals Justice Normandie Pizarro, who has been missing since Oct. 23, was found in Tarlac province last Oct. 30, the National Bureau of Investigation said Monday.

Distor said authorities found that the recovered corpse matched the retired judge’s DNA.

“Confirmed po by NBI Forensic. DNA match 99.99% po (NBI Forensic confirms it. The DNA match is 99.99percent,” Distor said in a text message to reporters when asked for confirmation about Pizarro’s death.

Pizarro’s right hand was missing while his left hand’s fingers were chopped off, Distor said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, disclosed that the NBI is focusing on four persons of interest (POIs) behind Pizarro’s death.

“One of them [POIs] is willing to divulge what he knows,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

Pizarro, who retired in 2019, penned the ruling that acquitted Janet Lim Napoles in her case of serious illegal detention in May 2017. [ac]