Police recover brass urn of Pinay banker found dead in America

The police has custody of the brass urn containing the ash of Pinay found dead in America and this will be returned to the family on Wednesday afternoon.

The brass urn containing the ash of Maria Pilar Pipie Cruz has been recovered by the police. PHOTO BY SPD CHIEF SUPT. TOMAS APOLINARIO

Southern Police District Chief Superintendent Tomas Apolinario said they received information from an anonymous caller who expressed desire to surrender the urn containing the ashes of Maria Pilar "Pipie" Cruz.

He said the urn was sold by the robbery suspect, Dionesio Layson, for P1,800.

Apolinario said they have coordinated with the Cruz family for the return of the urn on Wednesday.

Layson, who was identified as a former caretaker at the Manila Memorial Park, was arrested by the Parañaque police last March 10.

He claimed that he was instructed by his friends "Louie" and "Marvin" to sell the brass urn that was stolen from the Cruz mausoleum last March 3.

A robbery case has been filed against 30-year-old Layson.

Pipie is the banker who died in the hands of a fake doctor in 2004.

It was in 2004 that 35-year-old Maria Pilar "Pipie" Ozaeta Cruz sought medical help for a cyst in her tongue from a doctor, Dean Faello. During the operation, Pilar had a seizure and died. Faello then hid her body.

Pipie's family searched for her for almost a year until they received a tip as to the location of her remains.

The Cruz family found her remains stuffed inside a suitcase that was buried at the basement of Faello's house.

The police also found out that Faello is not a licensed physician and was later found guilty in court.

Pipie's remains were cremated and the ashes brought back to Manila and entombed in the Cruz mausoleum at the Manila Memorial Park. — with Amita Legaspi/BAP, GMA News