NBI: Geraldine Palma was insured

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently discovered a P40,000 Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) account under the name of suspected “suitcase girl” Geraldine Palma.

Head Agent Arnel Dalumpines, of the NBI-Special Task Force (STF), said they earlier asked the Insurance Commission (IC) Commissioner Eduardo Malinis to verify if the insurance was put out for the seven-year-old girl.

Dalumpines sent the letter to the IC last Oct. 15. However, the IC replied that it could not provide the information requested by the bureau and forwarded their request to their insurance company members.

One of the members, Philam Insurance, informed the NBI that a P40,000 PAI was registered under Palma’s name.

“At present, we have not yet determined who was named beneficiary in the PAI and we are also still waiting for responses from the other insurance companies, to determine if there were other insurance for the girl,” Dalumpines said.

The NBI official said this was part of their ongoing investigation into Palma’s death. There had been speculations that the girl’s father Gerald allegedly had his daughter insured, but he denied the allegations.

Palma was reported missing last Aug. 11. She was last seen with her nanny Marites Ontog and the victim’s family has received ransom demand for her release. However, five days later, a girl’s body was found stuffed in a green traveling suitcase floating in Manila Bay off the North Harbor. There are speculations that she was raped before she was killed. – Evelyn Macairan, Carmela Ann Santos