Disappearance of Catherine Camilon
Catherine Camilon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Catherine Manguerra Camilon January 4, 1997 |
| Disappeared | October 12, 2023 (aged 26) Lemery, Batangas, Philippines |
| Status | Missing for 1 year and 20 days |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title | Miss FIT Philippines 2023 Miss Grand Tuy 2023 |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Black |
| Major competition(s) |
|
Catherine Manguerra Camilon (born January 4, 1997) is a Filipino model, schoolteacher, and beauty pageant titleholder.[1]
Camilon went missing while driving her car from her hometown Tuy to Batangas City for a meeting. She was last seen on October 12, 2023 at XentroMall Lemery in Lemery, Batangas.[2][3] She also phoned her mother to inform her that she was already at a gasoline station in Bauan.[4]
Police are treating her disappearance as a kidnapping, as witnesses have reported her bloody, unconscious body being removed from her car and transferred to another vehicle.[5][6][7]
The Philippine Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs per Senator Raffy Tulfo issued a subpoena ad testificandum to main suspect Police Major Allan de Castro and his driver-bodyguard Jefrrey Magpantay who were accused of kidnapping and illegal detention. De Castro was dismissed from service on January 16, 2024.[8] In March 2024, De Castro retracted a 2023 admission that he had been having an affair with Camilon, and was cited in contempt,[9] and detained for some days, by the Philippine Senate for allegedly lying during hearings.[10]
However, on April 23, 2024, the regional prosecutor "dismissed charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention filed against former Police Major Allan de Castro and his driver-bodyguard Jeffrey Magpantay," reportedly "due to lack of evidence."[11] In May, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) appealed the dismissal of the charges against the two, stating "We will exhaust all legal remedies to indict all who caused the disappearance of the beauty queen."[12]
On September 18, 2024, de Castro and Magpantay were arrested in Balayan, Batangas.[13]
See also
[edit]- 2021–2022 Luzon sabungero disappearances
- Murder of Geneva Lopez
- List of kidnappings
- List of people who disappeared
References
[edit]- ^ Bravo, Frances Karmel S. (10 November 2023). "Who is Catherine Camilon?". pep.ph. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ Purnell, Kristofer (19 October 2023). "Miss Grand Philippines 2023 candidate Catherine Camilon officially declared 'missing'". Philstar. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ Mallari, Delfin Jr. (9 January 2024). "Suspect in disappearance of beauty queen surrenders". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ Basina, Carby (18 October 2023). "Miss Grand Philippines 2023 candidate Catherine Camilon officially declared 'missing person'". GMA Integrated News. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ Rappler.com (15 November 2023). "Police officer charged with kidnapping of Miss Grand PH contestant Catherine Camilon". rappler.com. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Mallari, Delfin Jr.; Cabalza, Dexter (15 November 2023). "'Worst' feared as beauty queen remains missing". inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "DNA found in SUV matches with DNA of missing beauty queen Catherine Camilon's relatives". Rappler. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Mateo, Janvic (27 February 2024). "Senate panel orders subpoena of primary suspect in Catherine Camilon case". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Villanueva, Brooke. "Charges dropped against cop linked to Catherine Camilon's disappearance". PhilSTAR L!fe. Sheila Paras. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Argosino, Faith. "Dela Rosa releases from detention cop tagged in Camilon's disappearance". inquirer.net. INQUIRER Group of Companies (IGC). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Casucian, Jiselle Anne. "Charges vs. cop in Catherine Camilon case dismissed". gmanetwork.com. GMA Network. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Amoroso, Ed. "Missing beauty pageant bet: CIDG appeals dismissal of raps vs ex-cop". philstar.com. Star Group of Publications. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Sacked cop, bodyguard wanted for disappearance of Catherine Camilon arrested". ABS-CBN. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.