Missing beauty queen Catherine Camilon was allegedly hurt by the police officer who has been tagged as one of the suspects in the crime, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Tuesday.
Citing Camilon’s sister Chin-Chin, CIDG 4A chief Col. Jacinto Malinao Jr. said the suspect, Maj. Allan de Castro, supposedly hurt Camilon when she told the cop’s wife that he had an affair.
“Based on the statement of Cath’s sister, Chin, she was told that the police major physically hurt Cath because he was drunk and Cath told the wife of the police major about an affair,” Malinao told GMA News Online in a message.
Kidnapping and serious illegal detention complaints have been filed against De Castro, his driver and bodyguard Jeffrey Magpantay, and two John Does over the beauty queen’s disappearance.
Investigators have also started questioning the family members and a friend of Camilon to determine the possible motive behind her disappearance.
Malinao said the testimonies of Camilon’s mother, her sister Chin-Chin, and her friend, a certain ‘Vanessa’, confirmed that the victim was supposed to meet with her boyfriend, Maj. de Castro in Batangas City on the day of her disappearance on Oct. 12.
Malinao said they were able to obtain screenshots of the exchange of messages of de Castro and Camilon which will be part of the evidence against the suspect.
According to the CIDG, there was information that Camilon was planning to break up with De Castro and this might be the reason why the two allegedly met on the day the beauty queen disappeared.
However, Malinao said De Castro did not admit anything about the supposed meet-up and claimed that he was at the Batangas Police Provincial Office (PPO) on the night Camilon went missing.
Investigators are now looking at a love angle as a possible motive for the crime. Recently, authorities found possible blood samples and hair strands from an SUV that has been linked to the disappearance of the beauty queen. The vehicle was found abandoned in Batangas City.
Police, meanwhile, said the registered owner of the vehicle has been identified.
Two witnesses recently came forward saying they saw Camilon bloodied while being transferred from her car to this SUV on Oct. 12. They said they saw one of the persons of interest who pointed a gun at them.
“Through the rogue’s gallery of the CIDG, they positively identified and they were very certain about it,” CIDG chief Police Major General Romeo Caramat Jr. earlier said.
The reward for information on Camilon’s location is currently at P250,000, with the funds coming from Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, and the business sector.
According to authorities, a close friend of Camilon reached out to her sister, Chin-chin, and told her of the alleged relationship between Camilon and De Castro.
The police officer also allegedly gave Camilon the vehicle she was seen in when she left her house.
De Castro has been temporarily relieved from his post pending results of the investigation.
He was also placed under the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
Meanwhile, the former owner of Camilon’s vehicle, who allegedly used a fake address on the deed of sale of the car, is facing carnapping and estafa complaints.
According to the police, they suspect that the former owner is involved in a carnapping group.
On Oct. 16, Chin-chin took to social media to ask netizens for help in locating her sister. Five days after her social media post, Catherine was declared a “missing person.”
Based on CCTV footage captured on October 12, Camilon’s vehicle was seen passing some towns in Batangas.
Police said she did not appear to be alone. Catherine represented Tuy, Batangas in the Miss Grand Philippines 2023 pageant.
