Geneva Lopez and Yitshak Cohen (File photo from GENEVA LOPEZ’ Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — The two former policemen, who are now suspects in the case of Pampanga beauty pageant candidate Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend Yitshak Cohen, allegedly shot the couple over a land dispute.
This information comes from the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG).
CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco revealed this information after presenting suspects Michael Angelo Guiang and Rommel Abuzo in a press conference in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
READ: 5 persons of interest in Geneva Lopez, boyfriend’s slay under custody
“So, makikita nyo, ayaw ibigay ni Guiang yung lupa na isinangla niya kay Geneva […] Sinabi ni Guiang na may buyer din nung lupang sinangla niya at ipapakilala nga nya kay Geneva itong si Abuzo as buyer,” Francisco disclosed.
(So, you can see, Guiang did not want to give the land that he mortgaged to Geneva […] Guiang said that there is also a buyer of the land that he mortgaged and introduced Abuzo to Geneva as the buyer.)
“From that point, nagkita sila sa Barangay Armenia at binaril ng two dating pulis na ito ang magkasintahan,” he said.
(They saw one another in Barangay Armenia and these two former policemen shot the couple.)
“So, makikita nyo (so you see), it’s a planned activity,” Francisco pointed out.
“A day before, sa aming imbestigasyon, ay nag usap si Guiang at Abuzo tungkol sa gagawin nila sa magnobyo na ito. So, there was that plan of killing itong magnobyo na ito,” he noted.
(A day before, based on our investigation, Guiang and Abuzo talked about how to deal with the couple. So there was that plan to kill them.)
In addition to the two former law enforcers, another suspect, identified as Jeffrey Santos, was also arrested.
Meanwhile, while two other unnamed persons of interest surrendered to the authorities and gave their statements to the police, as earlier revealed by PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil.
Of the seven who may have taken part in the crime, two persons of interest remain at large.
On Saturday, PNP said its Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Tarlac police recovered the remains of Lopez and Cohen within a quarry site in Barangay Sta. Lucia in Capas, Tarlac.
The discovery was made two weeks after the victims disappeared on June 21.
Based on police reports, Guiang and Abuza were assigned to Angeles City police at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two were dismissed from service after they went absent without taking leaves.