Police probe Pilar companion's suspicious past

Investigators have uncovered what seemed to be a shadowy past of Rosel Jacosalem Peñas, the companion of actress Pilar Pilapil when she was abducted, stabbed and dumped in a vacant lot in Rizal province last week and whom police now consider as suspect in the case. According to Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Peñas committed qualified theft in 2009 based on the information shared to them by a female tipster. He said according to the woman, Peñas took away some of her cash and jewelry in 2009. He said that time, Peñas was working as the woman’s househelper. “Grabe daw ang nawala sa kaniya at ninakaw daw nitong si Rosel. So there's qualified theft here... May alahas na nawala, maraming pera ang nawala, maraming kagamitang nawala at itong si Rosel ay nawala na ring bigla, tangay ang mga iyon," Pagdilao said. Pagdilao said the woman recognized Peñas through the photograph the police released to the media last week. He said they are still convincing the woman to file the appropriate charges against Peñas.

Notorious criminal? Pagdilao also said based on the artist’s sketches of Peñas’ two male companions during the stabbing of Pilapil, one bears a resemblance to a member of a notorious criminal syndicate. He, however, added that it is “purely speculative" to consider Peñas as a member of a crime syndicate. “[But] we are still running after this group and digging more information about this group," he said. Police formally considered Peñas as a suspect after she was spotted in Metro Manila a day after the attack on Pilapil. She was seen driving the gold Kia Carens (CIZ-888) where the attack reportedly happened. Peñas also allegedly made false statements when she told Pilapil that she was in Australia prior to the date of the attack Convinced Pagdilao said Pilapil was incredulous when she was informed on Peñas’ background. Police said Peñas and her husband used to live with Pilapil in Metro Manila, but after the couple separated, the husband moved to Cebu while Peñas went to Dumaguete City to drop off their child and then returned to Manila. Authorities on Tuesday also said they have already spoken with the actual owner of the missing Kia Carens. The vehicle was initially thought to belong to Peñas, but after verification, investigators found out that Peñas bought the car from someone for P480,000 last January. However, the car's title has yet to be transferred to Peñas, who only holds a deed of sale. Pagdilao said investigators are still in the middle of consolidating witness testimonies that they would need in filing charges of “special complex crime of robbery and serious physical injuries" against Peñas. - KBK, GMA News