PNP checking woman’s body fished out of river in Marikina

MANILA, Philippines—Police forensic investigators are checking whether the body of a woman recovered from the Tumana River in Marikina City Monday morning is that of actress Pilar Pilapil’s missing companion, Rosel Peñas.

Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. said forensic examiners from the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory were still running finger-print analysis and comparison as of Tuesday morning.

Pagdilao heads the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, which has created a special investigation task group to go after at least two men who attacked Pilapil and abducted her companion Peñas last Thursday night near the Marikina Riverbanks.

The 60-year-old beauty queen turned actress survived multiple knife wounds after her assailants left her for dead in Antipolo City while taking Peñas in the gold Kia Carnival van she was driving.

The CIDG released Tuesday a photograph of Peñas “to encourage people she knows and those who might have seen her to inform the authorities of her latest whereabouts,” according to Pagdilao.

The PNP had earlier on released a sketch of a male suspect based on Pilapil’s description of the man who repeatedly stabbed her.

Police investigators were still at a loss about Peñas’ background as investigation showed she was connected with Unilever Philippines at all. Pagdilao said they followed up Pilapil’s statement that Peñas was connected with the multinational company.

“(Peñas) does not have any record with the company to show that she is an employee. A check at the Social Security System turned out also that Unilever has no employee by the name of Rosel Jacosalem or Rosel Peñas,” he said.

Pagdilao said Unilever Philippines does not own a gold Kia Carnival vehicle.

Investigators are still checking Peñas’ travel records based on Pilapil’s claim that Peñas arrived in the country on April 13.

The actress said she went with Peñas that night to go to a business meeting with Unilever executives.