'Cyprus police snubbed reports of Filipinas feared slain by serial killer'
MANILA -- The Cyprus police "did not take seriously" reports of missing Filipinas who are now feared to be among the victims of a serial killer, a community leader said Tuesday, as the search for bodies continued.
The body of a fourth victim was found Sunday stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of a toxic man-made lake next to a disused mine southwest of the capital Nicosia, police said.
The suspect, a 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer, has allegedly confessed to killing 5 foreign women and 2 of their daughters in a crime spree that went undetected for nearly 3 years.
Among the identified victims is Filipina domestic worker Mary Rose Tiburcio, said Easter Beatty, chairperson of the Federation of Filipino Organizations in Cyprus.
Two other Filipina domestic workers and the 6-year-old daughter of one of them remain missing, Beatty said.
Police received reports on the missing Filipinas as early as 2017 and 2018, she said.
"The blame is with the Cyprus police dahil hindi nga nila ginawang seryoso ang reklamo ng mga nawawalang Filipinos," Beatty told radio DZMM.
(They did not treat the reports of missing Filipinos seriously.)
The case came to light 2 weeks ago when tourists spotted the body of Tiburcio, 38, brought to the surface of a disused mine shaft by unusually heavy rains.
That triggered a murder investigation which led to the army captain's arrest on April 18.
Days later, authorities found the body of a second woman in the shaft believed to be Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines.
The suspect on Thursday showed investigators to a well near an army firing range outside the capital where police found the body of a third victim, an unidentified woman of Asian descent.
DNA tests are still needed to confirm the "badly decomposed" bodies, said Beatty.
Police said they expected to bring a second suitcase to shore and will also search for a third travel bag believed to be in the lake.
LURED BY JOBS
The Filipinas may have been lured by the suspect with the promise of jobs, said Beatty.
The suspect, she said, used a dating app to offer jobs with a pay of 25 euros per hour, much higher than the typical rate of 5 euros per hour.
Some 1,500 people, mostly "outraged" Cypriots, joined a recent protest in front of the presidential palace to condemn the crime spree, said Beatty.
"We're still hoping na sana nga mahanap na agad ang mga bangkay, kung sila nga iyun (if it's really them). We continue doing vigil prayers for all of them," she said of the missing Filipinas.
With a report from Agence France-Presse
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