Pilar Pilapil stabbed in Marikina carjacking

MANILA, Philippines -  Veteran actress Pilar Pilapil was stabbed seven times during a carjacking incident in Marikina City Thursday night.

Pilapil, 60, was in stable condition last night at the Medical City hospital in Pasig City, according to Chief Superintendent Francisco Manalo, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Manalo admitted the police still have no solid leads in the investigation of the incident.

He said police investigators in Marikina, Pasig and Antipolo City were jointly working on the case.

Initial reports showed that Pilapil and her companion Rossel Rosalem were in a gold Kia car that was parked at the Riverbanks Center in Marikina City when two armed suspects accosted them at about 9:40 p.m.

Police said the suspects dumped Pilapil some two hours later at Piedra Blanca Subdivision in Barangay San Luis in Antipolo City, where residents found her and rushed her to the Antipolo district hospital.

Pilapil’s live-in partner, identified as Bernie Penas, said he and the actress separated at the Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City at 7 p.m. last Thursday.

He said Pilapil told him that she would meet Rosalem for a very important business transaction.

Penas said he was surprised when elements of the Antipolo City police informed him of the attack on Pilapil.

He immediately rushed to the hospital to find out what happened to Pilapil.

Penas could not say who could be behind the attack on the veteran actress.

Manalo admitted they have not yet established the whereabouts of Pilapil’s companion Rosalem, who is still missing together with the carjacked vehicle.

“We are thoroughly investigating the case. We are interviewing a lot of people who might help us identify the suspects,” Manalo said.

The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) would lead the investigation of the abduction and carjacking of Pilapil.

CIDG director Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao said Senior Superintendent Jose Napoleon Coronel, head of the CIDG-National Capital Region, would head the special investigating task group.

Pagdilao said the task group would be focusing on the conduct of a general investigation of the incident, the gathering of statements from two witnesses and the search for the actress’ missing Kia vehicle and its driver.

Pagdilao added that probers would still need to get the statement of Pilapil.

“The statements of the witnesses remain hearsay. We still need to talk to her,” he said.

Pagdilao would not rule the incident as just a carjacking incident.

“We cannot outright say that this is a carjacking incident,” he said.

Pagdilao said that the missing Kia vehicle is not registered under the actress’ name. With Mike Frialde