REYNELL Cantilla, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman of Barangay Tigbao of Badian town, who had been missing since Friday (Nov. 9) has been found.
Senior Insp. Elmond Jhon Mondaya, Badian Police Station chief, said in an interview on Monday (Nov. 12) that they found Cantilla, 18, safe and staying at a friend’s house in the neighboring town of Oslob.
“It is good news for us that he is alive and safe and sound after having been missing for a few days,” said Mondaya in
Filipino.
Mondaya said that the Cantilla family received information from a relative about Reynell’s whereabouts and told the police about this.
He then sent a police officer on Sunday to validate the information, and, on Monday, the Badian police chief visited Reynell in Oslob town.
Mondaya, however, said that he found a traumatized teenager, who told him that he had received a threat on his life.
Reynell recounted how he reached his friend’s house in Oslob.
He told Mondaya that after receiving the threat, he was in shock and just found himself boarding a van for the neighboring town of Boljoon, and he eventually found himself heading for Oslob town, a southern town, four or five towns away, from Badian town.
When asked if Reynell would face any liability with regard to the cost and police efforts to find him, Mondaya said there would be no action against Reynell since he had not done anything wrong or had not committed any crime, and what they did in locating Reynell was part of the job of the police.
“Actually, I pity him even though he had caused us some hassle. He will have a child soon and he is not financially stable yet. At least, he has helped his family and we can say that we did our part as police officers in helping them,” he said in Filipino.
Mondaya said since Reynell was still in shock, they could not force him to give them more information about his reason for leaving without telling his family his whereabouts.
He also said that it would up to Reynell if he would file a complaint against the person who threatened him.
Mondaya said that the Cantilla family, who accompanied him to Oslob, had already entrusted Reynell to a relative in Oslob where he was staying now.