Where is Reynell Cantilla?
The police of Badian town in southwestern Cebu have mobilized its force to search for Cantilla, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman of Barangay Tigbao of the town, who went missing at around 10 p.m. last November 8.
Insp. Elmond Mondaya, chief of the Badian Police Station, at the same time belied reports on social media that the body of Cantilla, 18, was found in the bushes in Barangay Malhiao of the same town on Friday evening.
“Fake news to. Among giadto kining dapita sa Malhiao daplin sa eskwelahan, og walay patayng lawas didto. Wala didto si Cantilla (It was fake news. We went to the place in Malhiao , near a school, and there was no dead body there. Cantilla was not there),” he said in a phone interview on Saturday.
Mondaya said the disappearance of Cantilla remains a mystery since the only clue to his disappearance was his abandoned motorcycle, which was recovered on a bridge in Barangay Manduyong. The area is about 3.3 kilometers from Barangay Tigbao.
“Wala man mi nakit-an nga dugo o ebidensya nga naligsan siya iban sa motor nga natuwad. (We did not see blood or any other evidence that he was hit by a car aside from the motorcycle left fallen on the bridge),” Mondaya said.
Mondaya said there is a possibility that the SK chairman was kidnapped, although they were not ruling other possible reasons for his disappearance.
“Murag wala man ni siyay kontra sa pulitika. Di pud ni siya apil sa fraternity. Sa among imbestigasyon, wa pud ni siyay kalambigitan sa droga,” added Mondaya.
(He does not have any enemy in politics. He is not a member of any fraternity. Based on our investigation, he is not involved in illegal drugs.)
Witnesses
SPO1 Josefina Beriarmente, the chief investigator for the Badian Police Station, said that witnesses recently surfaced and claimed that Cantilla was taken by six people on board three motorcycles at around 2 a.m. of November 9.
But this report was still being verified, she said.
Beriarmente, however, said they have “reasons to believe that he is still in Badian, but we cannot disclose the information as the investigations continue.”
After two days of scouring the town and nearby areas in search of Cantilla, the relatives and friends of the youth leader went home to rest last night (November 10), Beriarmente said.
She said they will continue to search for Cantilla today, November 11, and will look for more witnesses who may have seen the motorcycle which passed by Manduyong Bridge on November 8.
Personal problem?
SK-Cebu Federation president Jericho Rubio believed that Cantilla’s disappearance may be due to personal problems.
Rubio said he visited the family of Cantilla on November 10 to check if Cantilla has returned safely to his family.
He said the parents and the relatives of Cantilla were waiting together in their home for Cantilla’s return, occasionally visiting the Manduyong Bridge hoping to see him in the place where he disappeared.
“Nag atang pa intawon sila didto nga mo balik si Reynell. Naglibog pud sila sa pagkawala niini. Apan sa akong nahibaw-an, murag naa ni siyay problema sa pamilya,” said Rubio.
(They are waiting for Reynell to return. They are also confused as to why he disappeared. However, based on what I know, I think he has family problems.)
Rubio met Cantilla years back in an SK team building in Matutinao, Badian, and he vouched for the character of Cantilla whom he found to be hard working.
Girlfriend
Rubio revealed based on his conversation with the members of Cantilla’s family, that the missing youth leader has a girlfriend who is pregnant.
“Buntis daw iya uyab. Pero nagkasinabot naman daw ang duha ka pamilya. Siguro naa pay mas lalom nga problema iya giatubang,” said Rubio.
(His girlfriend is pregnant. However, their families have already agreed on an arrangement. Maybe he is facing a deeper problem.)
But Rubio did not also discount the possibility of Cantilla being kidnapped and said that he will be reaching out to the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) for help.
“Kung naa man ganiy nahitabong bati sa iyaha, kinahanglan makit-an siya dayon (If something bad happened to him, he needs to be found immediately),” said Rubio.
Rubio said he is also coordinating the SK Cebu Federation to help find Cantilla.
“Kung nilayas man gani siya, unta mo uli na lang siya (If he ran away, I am hoping he will decide to just come home),” he added.
Mondaya, meanwhile, said they are hoping to find Cantilla safe and sound, as they intensified their search for the SK chairman.