Runway model Irish Marimla claimed to have encountered the Israeli boyfriend of missing Mutya ng Pilipinas Pampanga 2024 contestant Geneva Lopez whom she alleged to have a “bad feeling” about.
The model on Tuesday claimed to have encountered Israeli national Yitshak Cohen, 37, “last two months ago,” when he allegedly messaged her on Instagram.
Irish shared a screengrab of part of the conversation wherein Yitshak on March 14, 2024 reportedly asked about her occupation and how she is “making money.”
“Hindi na ako nag-reply sa kanya that time [kasi] alam ko mayaman at hindi papatol sa isang katulad ko but…” she wrote in the caption.
On May 6, Yitshak messaged her anew. Irish added that they continued communicating until they had eventually planned to meet up.
“He [chatted] me on Instagram [to introduce] his company or business — like sponsorship to model his brand — and after that, he [asked] me if I [wanted] to [hangout] and look around here in Pampanga, and I said to him, maybe in another day, because I’m going to school every Monday [to] Friday,” Irish said in a Facebook post on June 25.
“After that conversation, Saturday night, we [net] in front of Nepo Mall, Angeles City. He [picked me up] with his red car and the plate number is AMA 7399,” she added.
“He [was] trying to convince me [to] go in [the] car and go to his house [or] hotel, and I said to him, ‘No, it’s okay, I will go home ’cause my mom [is] looking for me at 10 p.m.’ and then he [got] mad [at] me,” the model continued.
Irish said she refused to meet up with Yitshak at that time since she already had a “bad feeling” about him the first time they met.
“Sa coffee shop pa lang, gusto [ko na] umuwi kaso ang dami niya [kwinento sa’kin] kaya napa-isip ako na nililibang niya ako. Pero point talaga ni guy dito ay pipilitin ka niyang sumama sa kanya [kasi] marami pa daw [kami] pag-uusapan, kaso ‘di ako sumama dahil bigla akong nakaramdam ng masamang kutob,” she claimed.
The model also shared a video alleging that this was what Yitshak did after she went outside and waited for a tricycle to take her home after their meet-up.
“Bigla [siyang] bumababa sa car [niya] at ayan ang ginawa [niya sa’kin]… siguro nagawa [niya sa’kin] ‘yun dahil hindi ako sumama at pumayag na mag-look around [sa] Angeles City,” Irish claimed.
In the video, a man forcibly grabbed a woman, causing her to fall on the road.
The words “f**king tourist” could be vaguely heard from his lips.
A scream could also be heard in the background.
In the comments section, Irish claimed to know what Yitshak would do to Geneva.
“I know na kung anong gagawin [niya] kay Geneva Lopez dahil ‘yan din sinabi [niya sa’kin], he want to go in other country with me,” she alleged.
The model also claimed the encounter traumatized her, adding that she no longer interacted with people who were not from their area after that.
“Ayaw [ko na] maulit ‘yang [nangyari sa’kin],” Irish commented.
She also claimed Yitshak has not yet been made accountable for what he did to her.
“Hindi [niya pa] napapanagutan ang ginawa [niya sa’kin] that time at hindi [ko na] nasabi sa family ko dahil makakadagdag lang sa problema namin, at hindi ko alam gagawin ko. Katapos ng pangyayari, mas pinili kong sarilihin na lang itong nangyari sa’kin,” Irish said.
The case
Reports said Geneva and Yitshak have been reported missing by the pageant bet’s sister, Joni, since Saturday, June 22.
The couple has been unreachable via social media and mobile phones since last Friday, June 21, around 3 p.m.
Both were residing in Barangay Malabanias, Angeles City.
They planned to go to Capas, Tarlac, to meet with Michael Angelo Guiang about a property transaction. Reports said they intend to buy 20.5 hectares of agricultural land.
Police Lt. Col. Librado Manarang, Capas police chief, said that a middleman met the couple in front of a gas station at Barangay Cristo Rey last Friday and then proceeded to Barangay Armenia in Tarlac City, where the parcels of land were located.
“The middleman said that after [Geneva and Yitshak] made an ocular inspection of the properties, that was around 4 p.m., they parted ways on board their respective vehicles,” he said to Inquirer.
Family and friends lost contact with the couple late in the afternoon of the same day.
By Saturday, June 22, at 2:36 a.m., a gray Nissan Terra sports utility vehicle (SUV) was found burning along the Capas-San Jose Road in Cristo Rey village. It was used by the couple.
Authorities said the vehicle was pawned to them. The owner was a male individual from Bulacan.
The police found a partially burned automated teller machine (ATM) card belonging to Geneva, her 1×1 photo and partially burned real estate documents with her name.
A burned “cellphone or tablet” was also retrieved from the SUV.
Yitshak’s family has offered a cash reward of P250,000 to those with “any valid information leading to their finding.”
They can be contacted by emailing geneva.and.yitshak@gmail.com or by direct message at the Facebook page “Finding Geneva and Yitshak.”
In October 2023, another beauty pageant candidate, Miss Grand Philippines 2024 bet Catherine Camilon, was declared missing.
RELATED: More Catherine Camilon stories here
Last May, charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention against former police major Allan de Castro and his driver-bodyguard Jeffrey Magpantay were dismissed due to lack of evidence.
Catherine was supposed to meet De Castro on Oct. 12, 2023, when she was reported missing.
The former cop had confirmed his relationship with the beauty pageant contestant.