The case of the then missing teenager, Ica Policarpio caught my attention in the same manner when children of less influential parents captured my heart. Personally, I have this interest and intent to help those who are lost and those who are looking for their missing family. As a citizen, what I have been doing is either blogging about the missing person or re-posting through Facebook the family’s plea to find their missing family. So when I read last early Friday morning about Bea Policarpio’s plea to help in looking for her missing sister, I hit the share button and hoped for the best outcome.
Friday night, my friends and I discussed about the circumstances of Ica’s disappearance minutes after she stepped out of the coffee shop where she was said to have stayed from afternoon up to almost 11:00 PM. I told them that there was nothing really unusual about her disappearance because she looked like she did it on purpose. The give-away was when she left her laptop and cellphone inside her bag while she looked for an establishment to break her 1000-peso bill. You don’t just leave your valuables unattended; even grade schoolers are aware of that. Ica probably did that to avoid being traced. The plot thickened when the following day there were news about her argument with her father prior to her disappearance.
Whatever the reasons, I sincerely hoped and prayed that nothing bad would happen to this young lady. Netizens were very happy to know that she was finally found in San Pablo, Laguna on Sunday Morning. Thanks to the technology and thanks to the information of Archie, Danica, Yra and the tricycle driver—except for Danica and Yra who were together when they saw her, the rest of them saw her in different locations.
A press conference attended by her father, Atty. Penny Policarpio, was held on the same day. The netizens expected that her father would tell what really happened. Their excitement and joy turned into bashing and questioning when Ica’s family requested for privacy. This is not the first time that a family of a missing person who went public when asking for help and then turned very private as soon as they found their kin; but Ica’s case was sensationalized in many level so the public became invested with her story so they demanded to know what really happened. Some were saying that she was really kidnapped that was why the family was mum about it. Some were trying to connect it to the 48-hour challenge wherein participants deliberately run away from home and fake their disappearance for likes and hits on Facebook. Some were making assumptions about her psychological state. Some said that she was just as spoiled brat. Unless otherwise clarified by her family, I stick to my impression that Ica just ran away to probably breathe a fresh perspective about life. She was lost and she was found; I’m okay with that as a netizen and I don’t demand for further explanation from them.
I believe that in due time, the real cause about her disappearance will be revealed. It’s a waste of time to be trying to squeeze information from her family when there are missing people around that need our help and attention.