Cop charged over beauty queen’s disappearance

MANILA, Philippines — Charges of kidnapping and illegal detention were filed yesterday against a police major and his three companions in connection with the disappearance of a pageant candidate in Batangas.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) filed the charges before the office of the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor, according to Col. Jean Fajardo, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s public information office.

Named respondents in the case were Maj. Allan de Castro, Jeffrey Magpantay and two others whose names were not immediately available.

The suspects were tagged in the kidnapping of Catherine Camilon, a candidate in the Miss Grand Philippines 2023 representing the town of Tuy, Batangas.

Camilon was reported missing on Oct. 12.

“A case of violation of Article 261 of the Revised Penal Code, particularly kidnapping and serious illegal detention was filed with the Batangas prosecutor’s office,” Fajardo said in a press briefing yesterday.

“The case was officially referred to the prosecutor’s office for evaluation during the preliminary investigation,” she added.

The filing of the complaint came after investigators intensified the gathering of evidence and coordinated with the Highway Patrol Group for the identification of the registered owner of a sport utility vehicle reportedly used in the kidnapping.

The vehicle was found abandoned in Batangas City.

Samples of forensic evidence such as hair strands, blood and fingerprints have been collected from the vehicle.

Results of the laboratory examinations conducted on these samples have yet to be known.

Fajardo said the decision to file kidnapping charges was based on the current status of the case.

She said the PNP would wait for the result of the forensic examinations before it could upgrade the case or file additional charges.

De Castro remains under restrictive custody at the Calabarzon police.

The investigating panel is communicating with the Camilon family to address any possible threat.

Fajardo said the PNP is ready to provide security should the family receive threats through phone or online.

Seized couple found dead

Meanwhile, a man and his partner seized by unidentified men in Quezon province have been found dead in Laguna.

The bodies of Edwin Sagala, 50, and Annavel Alvelez, 40, were found in a sack dumped at a construction site in Alaminos town, police said yesterday.

The victims, who were reportedly seized by members of a drug syndicate last Friday, bore gunshot wounds in the head.

The bodies were positively identified by their relatives, according to Maj. Serafin Gapunuan, Alaminos police chief.

Gapunuan said the victims were on a motorcycle when they were flagged down by a group of men in Lucena City at around 3 p.m.

The men dragged the couple into a waiting white van.

Col. Harold Depositar, Laguna police director, said probers are eyeing drugs as the motive for the killing.

Depositar said the victims had previous drug cases in Quezon.