Debt-Linked Land Deal Suspected Motive in Killing of Israeli and Filipino Girlfriend

CAPAS, TARLAC — The tragic deaths of Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend Yitzhak Cohen, whose bodies were recently discovered buried in Capas, Tarlac, are now linked to a possible debt-related dispute over a land deal, according to new revelations.

According to Philippines News Agency, Yitzhak’s brother, his brother had loaned money to a man whose mother was ill. The debtor allegedly arranged a meeting to repay the loan with land instead of money. This information surfaced last week in an interview with the Israeli news site Ynet. “He never returned the money,” Yaniv was quoted on Saturday. The police excavation at a local quarry early Saturday led to the discovery of two decomposing bodies, later confirmed to be those of Lopez, a 27-year-old beauty pageant candidate from Pampanga, and Cohen, 37, who had been residing in Angeles City for seven years.

The suspected scam involved offering land as repayment for debts—a tactic Yaniv described as a recurring scam targeting successful business individuals. The couple had been missing since June 21, following their attendance at a supposed land sale meeting in Capas.

Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda confirmed the identity of the bodies through the clothes and personal belongings found at the scene. He expressed his condolences on Facebook, noting the community’s loss. “I am saddened to report that we found the bodies of our very own Geneva Lopez and her boyfriend, Yitzhak Cohen, in Sta. Lucia, Capas, Tarlac, after they went missing for two weeks,” he stated.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that the Israeli Embassy in Manila is assisting the Cohen family with the arrangements to transfer Yitzhak’s remains back to Israel. Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos disclosed that two former police officers have been taken into custody in connection with the case, with further persons of interest also identified.