MANILA – The mother of missing beauty queen Catherine Camilon expressed “renewed hope” following the arrest of suspects involved in her daughter’s disappearance in Batangas.
Former police officer Allan de Castro and his bodyguard Jeffrey Magpantay were apprehended in separate manhunt operations in Barangay Caloocan, Balayan, Batangas province. Both individuals are facing charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention, filed at the Batangas City Regional Trial Court Branch 3.
“Nagpapasalamat ho kami dahil talaga naman ho ginawa ng mga CIDG ang kanilang magagawa para ito ay mahuli dahil na-dismiss ho ito at buti na lang nagkaroon ulit ng panibagong pag-asa….Sa totoo lang ang sakit nandoon yung maraming pain, nandoon yung takot at hirap sa pakiramdam na nandiyan sila pero wala ho ang aming anak,” said Camilon’s mother, Rose.
(We are thankful because the CIDG did their best to arrest the suspects as they are dismissed. Good thing there’s hope. To be honest, seeing the suspects but not my daughter is painful and scary.)
Rose once again urged De Castro and Magpantay to reveal the truth. “Wala ho akong ibang hinihiling kungdi sabihin nila yung totoo kung nasaan ang aking anak, kung ano ang ginawa nila, kung saan nila dinala, yun lang. sapul sa simula wala na ho ako hiniling na iba kungdi malaman kung nasaan ang aming anak,” she said.
(I have nothing else to say but to call for them to say the truth about my daughter’s whereabouts, whatever they did, where they brought her, that’s all. From the beginning, I have asked for nothing aside from finding out where she is.)
De Castro was dismissed from the police force in January due to allegations of an extramarital affair with Camilon. He was previously detained in the Senate in March but was released on Senator Bato Dela Rosa’s request before the Senate’s break.
Initially, the kidnapping charges against De Castro and Magpantay were dismissed on April 16. However, Camilon’s family filed a motion for reconsideration, which was granted on August 15, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant on September 4. Both suspects are currently detained at the Balayan Custodial Facility.
Nearly a year after Camilon’s disappearance, Rose remains hopeful that her daughter is still alive. “Talagang ayaw ko ilagay sa loob ko na wala siya pero naasa ako. Kung ano man ang magiging kahihinatnan nandoon yung pag-asa na isang araw baka bumalik pa rin siya sa amin,” she said.
(I don’t want to think that she’s gone. I still hope that she’ll return to us someday.)
Calabarzon police spokesperson PLt. Col Chitadel Gaoiran remarked, “Habang tumatagal ay nagiging slim yung chance natin, pero still siyempre we are still hoping na makita natin si Catherine.”
(As more time passes, the chances get slimmer, but we are still hoping we could find Catherine.)