Details emerge

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos in a press briefing presented two persons of interest in the slayings of Geneva Lopez and Yitshak Cohen. I just found it amusing that while they were presented to the public, their faces were completely covered, one of them even looking like a ninja turtle. The two were former police officers Michael Guiang and Rommel Abuzo. Another person of interest, Jeffrey Santos is also in police custody. Two suspects remain at large as of this writing.

Details of this crime are already emerging. Two individuals who earlier voluntarily surrendered to authorities helped in finding the couple’s bodies. I assume their consciences got the better of them. The motive for the crime has something to do with a large parcel of land. Guiang pawned the land to Lopez, and when Guiang could not pay back the money, Lopez probably decided to claim the land and ask Guiang for the title and related documents to complete the transfer.

Guiang then said he had a buyer for the land and convinced Lopez to meet him in Capas. This is when the plan to kill the couple was hatched. The couple’s vehicle was found burning in Capas a day after they went missing. Operations then led to the arrest of the former policemen for violation of the firearms law. Authorities are carefully building cases of murder for these persons. We have seen several high-profile cases like this whose cases were dismissed because of a lack of evidence or some other technicality. I hope the PNP does not botch this one. The families of Lopez and Cohen deserve justice.

There is a lot to take away from this crime. Lending a large amount of money always comes with caveats. So, if possible, avoid doing this. I do not know if Lopez and Guiang have known each other for some time for her to lend him money. In my opinion, pawning a piece of land raises a red flag. In this case, the title of the land should be in the possession of Lopez while the debt is unpaid. However, the absolute transfer of ownership is not complete without a deed of sale, which the owner, Guiang, has to sign. I would also add that when discussions about a large amount of loaned money are done, it should be done in a public place and nowhere else. And bring along other people to stay in the background.

Unfortunately, Lopez and Cohen met with Guiang alone, which presented Guiang and his cohorts with the opportunity to commit the murder. As I said, this was all planned. If only Lopez brought along at least two or even more companions and stayed in a public place, the crime may have been averted. And never agree to meet at a place where there are no people at all.