Cops on missing person reports: All cases treated fairly

CEBU, Philippines — Police assured that all missing person reports are treated fairly. This after social media backlash that police gave special treatment to the case of lawyer Sarah Calipayan.

“We’d like to assure the people, that the police are treating everyone fairly in all cases,” Abellana Police Station chief Maria Theresa Macatangay said.

Netizens reacted that police immediately responded to search for Sarah, 33, even before the 24-hour period required for someone to be considered missing as per National Police Commission guidelines of a “person’s perceived disappearance” had passed.

Macatangay said that police are not being complacent considering the incident last February 19 that resulted in the death of lawyer and former Ronda vice mayor Jonnah John Ungab.

“True nga kung wala pay 24 hours, but with the current issues hounding sa atoang mga lawyers…we cannot discount any fact or any report, however small, nga kung naa’y ingon ana nga report, we will act on it, di lang kana maski sa mga yano,” Macatangay said.

She reiterated that all reports are responded to with the best effort.

“Although di ma-pick-up sa balita kay yano ra mang mga tawo, but the police are always there to react, to assist, to support, any person, it would have applied, if kani (low-profile cases) na-media pud, makaingon patas ra g’yud,” she said.

Jamaal James, 35, the husband of Sarah, became worried after she did not come home last Tuesday night and launched a search with the help of the police and his employer, Cebu sixth district Rep. Jonas Cortes.

Twelve hours into the search, his wife reappeared to say she had been too drunk to answer her phone or reply and opted to sleep in a nearby hotel.

Based on previous accounts Macatangay and Jamaal James said the disappearance was caused by Sarah’s anxiety attack, caused by pressure from work. Sarah worked as the legal counsel of a huge real estate company.

It was revealed by her husband that she had tendered her resignation a week before. Jamaal James also posted an apology for the trouble caused and asked everyone to spare his wife from negative comments.

Macatangay said that the case is considered closed, and the netizens grumbling in social media ought to give them privacy.

“I don’t know what they (netizens) are grumbling for, maybe they want to pry to the private life of those people. But as far as the police is concerned, the investigation as to her whereabouts has already ended,” she said.

She said that police are not eyeing any liabilities for the couple, although there was an issue of manpower being wasted it was a good thing that she was not kidnapped, an angle that came up during the search. However, there was no corroborating evidence.

“As law enforcers we just did what we have to do and thankful that ang initial report nga kidnapping dili tinuod, it was not given great weight kay wala’y evidence to validate the fact, so nangita lang g’yud mi niya” she said. (FREEMAN)