FILE PHOTO: Rose Camilon, the mother of missing beauty queen Catherine Camilon, continues to believe that her daughter is still alive. Photo from Catherine Camilon’s Facebook account
MANILA, Philippines — The mother of missing beauty queen Catherine Camilon continues to believe that her daughter is still alive.
Rose Camilon expressed her sentiment in a radio interview following remarks from investigators that her daughter may already be dead based on the accounts of witnesses.
“Opo, dahil ako sinasabi ko talaga, sapul po sa simula nang umalis siya, ni minsan ho wala akong inisip na masama para sa kanya,” Rose said over radio DWPM when asked if she thinks Catherine is still alive.
(Yes, because, as I have been saying, I never thought anything bad about her, even when she left.)
Region 4-A’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group deputy Maj. Nilo Morallos said Thursday that based on witnesses’ accounts, Catherine may already be dead.
According to Morallos, they are “hoping for the best, but […] expecting the worse” in the case of the former Miss Grand Philippines contestant who was reported missing on October 12, 2023.
READ: Police exec: Catherine Camilon possibly dead, witnesses say
Two witnesses have claimed they saw three men transferring the body of Catherine to a Honda CRV. On November 9 last year, authorities found a similar vehicle abandoned at a vacant lot on the corner of Dumuclay Road and Star Tollway in Barangay Pallocan East.
In a forensic examination, authorities recovered from the car some hair strands which DNA matches with the DNA of Catherine’s parents.
Despite all these, Rose kept her hopes up. She even recalled that Catherine turned 27 years old last January 3.
“Hiling ko po at laging dasal sa Panginoong Diyos na ligtas siya, saan man siya naroon kahit na nalalaman itong mga ganito, ‘di ko talaga iniisip na, ‘yun ‘yon.”
(I wish and always pray to the Lord God that she is safe wherever she is. Even knowing these things, I don’t really think that that’s it.)
READ: PNP fires cop linked to beauty queen’s disappearance
“Nagbirthday po siya, wala siya dito sa bahay; dumaan ho ang Pasko at Bagong Taon, hindi po namin siya kasama,” she lamented.
(Her birthday passed, and she was not here at home; Christmas and New Year passed, and we didn’t have her with us.)