The Philippine National Police (PNP) Calabarzon nabbed a former cop identified as Allan de Castro and his driver in connection with the disappearance of beauty pageant contestant Catherine Camilon in Balayan, Batangas.
De Castro was arrested at around 7:47 PM Saturday, September 14, in Barangay Caloocan. During the same operation, authorities also arrested his driver-bodyguard, Jeffrey Magpantay, almost an hour later.
The two suspects are facing criminal charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of Camilon, who went missing in 2023.
Charges against both suspects were initially dropped on May 15 due to lack of evidence. However, both suspects now face the same charges with no recommended bail filed by the Batangas Regional Trial Court.
De Castro was alleged to be in a relationship with the former beauty queen before her reported disappearance, while Magpantay served as his accomplice.
Witnesses claimed that they saw Camilon full of blood all while being transferred to a different vehicle on the same day, Magpantay was also in the area.
The PNP’s testing of the samples obtained from the abandoned vehicle located in the area later revealed hair and blood that matched the DNA profile of Camilon’s parents.
PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Major General Romeo Caramat, Jr. confirmed this information.
“Our witnesses do not lie. There is corroborative evidence that they actually saw the woman being lifted by our suspects was certainly Miss Camilon,” the CIDG director said.
