Former Officers Among Five Charged in Beauty Queen’s Murder

Manila-On Thursday, the Department of Justice charged five individuals, including two former police officers, with the murder of a beauty queen, Geneva Lopez, and her Israeli boyfriend, Yitzhak Cohen. The charges, filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), relate to a dispute over a piece of real estate in Tarlac.

According to Philippines News agency, chief of the PNP-CIDG Legal Division, the conflict stemmed from the victims refusing to relinquish real estate documents after the accused defaulted on a financial agreement. This led the accused to allegedly lure the victims to a location where the murders were executed. The case gained further attention after the victims were reported missing in June and later found deceased in July. The family of Geneva Lopez has expressed a strong desire for justice, insisting on full accountability for all involved.