The Philippine National Police (PNP) has tagged a former policeman, Michael Guiang, as the “brains” behind the murder of Filipina beauty queen Geneva Lopez and her partner, Israeli national Yitzhak Cohen.

In a press briefing on Thursday, PNP spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said the police were still determining Guiang’s motive.

“As I clearly stated to you, the motive we are pursuing is that the brains and main player here was Guiang, who had direct contact with Lopez’s family and was the one who enticed the two victims to meet with him on 21 June,” Fajardo said.

According to Fajardo, Guiang had “an axe to grind” as he wanted to take back the land he had mortgaged to Lopez, which had been foreclosed after he failed to pay his debt.

“The direction of the investigation is still there,” she noted. Fajardo said the other suspects were offered money for their participation in the crime.

One of the suspects was identified as “Junjun” who was offered P50,000. “Junjun” was the one who revealed to the police the location of the quarry site in Capas, Tarlac where the bodies were buried.

The couple were reported missing last 21 June.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Police Major General Leo Francisco said Guiang had mortgaged the property to Lopez. He refused to give the land to Lopez when the latter decided to claim it.

Guiang then told Lopez there was a buyer for the property, supposedly former policeman Rommel Aboso, who was one of the arrested persons of interest.

Francisco said the two ex-cops might have plotted to murder Lopez and her Israeli partner.

“At that point, they met in Barangay Armenia and the two former police officers shot the couple. So you can see, it was a planned activity,” he said.