The chief of the Philippine National Police has not yet given an update about the status of Miss Grand Philippines 2023 bet Catherine Camilon despite saying they were making “significant progress” in the weeks-old case.
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. did not give any details about what they know regarding the wherabouts of the beauty queen aspirant in an update he gave to reporters on Monday, November 6.
“Buhay pa ba siya or [ano] status? I don’t want to give kuwan muna kasi it might affect the feelings of the family,” he was quoted as saying in a report.
“Kuwan” is a Filipino placeholder that is used to refer to something or someone that they do not know or have no idea what it’s called.
“Mas maganda, we think positively muna,” Acorda added.
However, the top cop said that the police were making “significant progress” in Camilon’s disappearance case.
“May mga development na sinubmit ang ating CIDG, maganda naman… I hope ‘yung mga perpetrators, mag-isip-isip. Sana sumuko na to mitigate their offense. Medyo maganda na direksyon ng investigation,” the PNP chief said.
CIDG is the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the primary investigation arm of the national police.
“There is some significant progress on the investigation. That’s why I am appealing now, those who are involved, sana sumuko na,” Acorda said.
There are already two persons of interest in Camilon’s case — a police major who remains unidentified and a man from Binanongan, Rizal who last possessed the vehicle she drove before going missing.
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The police — who was alleged to be in a romantic relationship with Camilon — has already been relieved of his post and is in the custody of the regional personnel holding and accounting unit in Camp Vicente Lim.
His identity has not yet been revealed by the law enforcers.
Meanwhile, the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 4A has filed cases of carnapping and estafa against the last registered owner of the vehicle that Camilon has used.
The man reportedly gave a fake name and address in the vehicle’s deed of sale. The police also suspect that he is involved in a carnapping group.
Past reports said that it was the police major whom Camilon was supposed to meet before she disappeared. He also gave her the vehicle.
The beauty queen aspirant was last spotted on October 12, when her vehicle passed through some towns in Batangas.
The police said Camilon did not appear to be alone at that time.
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Authorities are offering P250,000 reward for anyone who has credible information on Camilon’s whereabouts.
Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste is also offering P100,000 reward, while the business sector of the PNP Calabarzon is offering another P100,000 bounty.
Camilon represented Tuy, Batangas in Miss Grand Philippines 2023, which was won by Nikki de Moura of Cagayan de Oro.
Herlene Budol, also known as “Hipon Girl,” also won the Miss Philippines Tourism 2023 title in the same pageant.