Beauty queen slay suspects charged

Authorities reported on Thursday that five individuals -- including two former police officers -- were charged with murder on Thursday in the killing of a beauty queen and her Israeli boyfriend.

Two counts of murder were filed against the suspects by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group before the Department of Justice.

Police Col. Thomas Valmonte, chief of the PNP-CIDG Legal Division, said a land dispute was the motive in the killing of Geneva Lopez and Yitzhak Cohen.

The respondents had pawned the land to the victims and wanted to recover the property documents without returning the money, Valmonte said.

“The respondents had a buyer, and that’s how they lured the victims to the place where they carried out their plan to kill them,” he said.

To recall, the couple was reported missing 22 June and their bodies were found 6 July in Capas, Tarlac province.

Joni Lopez, the victim’s sister, welcomed the charges, saying she wants all those involved to be punished.