A sport-utility vehicle (SUV) linked to the disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon was found in Barangay Dumuclay, Batangas City, the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 4A said Friday.
Citing CIDG 4A chief Police Colonel Jacinto Malinao Jr., witnesses have claimed the vehicle had been abandoned in the area since Thursday, a report on radio DZBB said.
The red Honda CRV was brought to the Batangas Provincial Police Office for forensic testing.
Malinao later told GMA News police are still waiting for a report from their Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team for traces of evidence like hair or blood found in the vehicle.
“This is a continuing effort aside from other investigative activities that we are conducting,” he added.
Two witnesses recently came forward saying they saw Camilon – who represented Tuy, Batangas in the Miss Grand Philippines 2023 pageant—bloodied while being transferred from her car to another vehicle on Oct. 12.
The witnesses also said they saw one of the persons of interest, who pointed a gun at them. The gunman was said to be the personal driver of a second person of interest.
“Through the rogue’s gallery of the CIDG, they positively identified (the gunman) and they were very certain about it,” CIDG chief Police Major General Romeo Caramat Jr. said earlier.
Investigators are now looking at a love angle as a possible motive for the crime.
The reward for information on Camilon’s whereabouts is now P250,000, coming from Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Leviste, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, and the business sector.
The police earlier said they were looking into two persons of interest in Camilon’s disappearance, including a policeman and a former owner of the beauty queen’s vehicle.
Authorities said a close friend of Camilon had reached out to her sister, Chin-chin, and told her of the alleged relationship between the missing beauty queen and the policeman. They said Camilon was supposed to meet the police officer on the day she disappeared. The cop also allegedly gave her the car she was seen in when she left her house.
The policeman in question has been temporarily relieved pending the results of the investigation, the Philippine National Police said, and was also placed under the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
Meanwhile, the former owner of Camilon’s vehicle, who allegedly used a fake address on the deed of sale of the car, is facing carnapping and estafa complaints.
Police suspect that the former car owner is involved in a carnapping group.
On Oct. 16, Chin-chin took to social media to ask netizens for help in finding her sister. Five days after her social media post, Catherine was declared missing.
Based on CCTV footage captured on Oct. 12, Camilon’s vehicle was seen passing some towns in Batangas. Police said she did not appear to be alone. Vince Lopez