Senate panel summons suspects in Catherine Camilon’s disappearance

Catherine Camilon (File photo from her Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate panel on public order on dangerous drugs ordered the issuance of a subpoena against Police Major Allan De Castro and his driver Jeffrey Magpantay — both of whom are suspects in the disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon.

It was Sen. Raffy Tulfo who moved for the issuance of a subpoena to the suspects.

Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who was presiding over the hearing as committee chair, ruled in favor of Tulfo’s motion.

“I rule the motion in favor of Senator Tulfo that we have to issue a subpoena to subjects Police Major De Castro and Magpantay,” said Dela Rosa.

Both suspects skipped the panel’s Tuesday probe. For his part, De Castro said he was assisting his pregnant wife, while Magpantay said his lawyer was sick.

Camilon, who has yet to be found to date, was reported missing on October 12, 2023. On the night she disappeared, Camilon reportedly left her home in Batangas and drove a gray Nissan Juke.

On November 7, witnesses recounted seeing the beauty queen “bloodied and unconscious” while she was being transferred by three men to a red Honda CR-V from her gray vehicle.

A day after this, the vehicle was found in a vacant lot where the Philippine National Police Forensic Group found 17 hair strands, fingerprints, and 12 swabs of blood samples.