Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) on Saturday morning found the remains of missing Kapampangan beauty queen Geneva Lopez and her Israeli fiancé Yitzhak Cohen in Tarlac.
The decomposed bodies were unearthed in a remote quarry site in Barangay Sta. Lucia in Capas, Tarlac. The remains were discovered after a key witness came forward with information about the case.
According to Capas Municipal Police Station chief Police Lt. Col. Librado Manarang Jr., the relatives of Lopez and Cohen have since identified the bodies.
Further investigation will be conducted, such as autopsies, DNA testing, and analysis.
Missing for two weeks, Lopez and Cohen were last seen in an SUV that was later discovered burned and abandoned in Capas on June 22.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has since identified seven persons of interest in the case. This refers to individuals who are not yet considered suspects but whom authorities are observing in relation to an investigation.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) earlier apprehended persons of interest allegedly involved in the disappearance of the couple in Tarlac.
These include two former police officers, a real estate middleman, and another individual.
Authorities said they recovered firearms, ammunition, and a hand grenade in the operation involving the aforementioned persons of interest.
This was part of the government’s Oplan Paglalansag Omega, or the state campaign against private armed groups and loose firearms.
