Six-year old Jillian Marie Avila, preschooler of barangay Jimili-an, Loboc town was found safe and sound in barangay Balintawak, Talibon town after reported missing for 22 hours.
Police authorities in Talibon and Tagbilaran, after being informed about the incident appeared pussy footing on how to respond to a missing person alarm involving a child.
She was taken under the care of the family of Dionisio Aba-a, bus conductor of St. Jude Transit.
Before she got lost, Jillian was last seen by her mother playing at the World of Fun at the Island City Mall (ICM) at around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Her mother left her to answer the call of nature. They were supposed to go shopping and planned to leave for Loboc hours later.
Thinking that Jillian was all the time inside the fun house, Zosima was alarmed when her child failed to show up after about half an hour.
Failing to locate Jillian after scouring the mall and seeking assistance from mall security she called her baker husband in Loay and reported the incident to the Tagbilaran Police Station at around 7:45 and to a roving police patrol at the Dao Terminal. They also informed Loboc Police upon their arrival late in the night. They were assured that a "flash alarm" would be sent to all police stations in the province.
They also aired their appeal for any information on Jillian's whereabouts over DYRD's "Tagbilaran by Nite".
Lydia M. Billiezas, office manager of St. Jude Transit told the Chronicle that at about 8 p.m. last Wednesday, bus conductor Junior Roloma informed her that they had in their custody an unescorted and unidentified child who boarded St. Jude Bus no. 81 bound for Talibon via Carmen. She immediately instructed Roloma to inform Talibon police and not to release the child to anybody except the police. He was advised by SPO1 Felix Avergonzado, officer on duty to temporarily bring the child to their house while they verify her origins and identity.
Roloma even recalled Avergonzado, telling him that he would get in touch with the Tagbilaran Police.
Renato Lamban, bus conductor of St. Jude bus no. 81 told the Chronicle that they left Dao terminal bound for Talibon via Carmen at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday. He noticed that a girl was seated beside Lorena Valleroso, wife of one of their bus conductors. Thinking that she was the daughter of Valleroso he was surprised that upon reaching Carmen the girl remained seated even as Valleroso got off the bus.
Since the child did not respond to queries about her identity they decided to bring her to Talibon for her safety. They arrived Talibon at around 7 p.m. and reported to the Talibon Police upon instructions from their office manager.
Jillian ate, slept and played with Aba-a's sibling until she was fetched by Talibon police at around lunchtime Thursday for their trip back to Tagbilaran.
She arrived in Tagbilaran at 5:30 to a tearful reunion with her distraught parents at Camp Dagohoy.
Upon the gentle coaxing of her parents, Justo and Zosima, a visibly confused and famished Jillian could only utter that a certain "Uncle" lured her into going to the nearby Dao terminal with food and candies. However, the interview with DSWD official and PNP Women's & Child desk officer was cut short after the parents complained that the child was hungry and they might miss the last jeepney trip to Loboc.
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with DYRD "Inyong Alagad" last Thursday, PO1 Auditor of the Talibon Police admitted lapses in the handling of the missing persons case even as the Tagbilaran Police, as of press time could not determine the exact time when the flash message to all police stations was sent. According to Auditor he recalled receiving the missing person flash message only in the morning of Thursday.
Since St. Jude employees volunteered to take care of the child Auditor considered the case closed even as he did not inform Tagbilaran Police about the latest developments. Such operational lapses can jeopardize the management of emergency situations that call for immediate response from the police.
The 22-hour gap from the time the child was officially reported to the Tagbilaran, Talibon and Loboc police stations caused untold emotional distress to the parents, confusion on the part of the child and undue pressure for the management of Island City Mall (ICM) even as the missing person incident was confirmed to be solved as early as 8 in the evening of Wednesday since personnel of the St. Jude Transit officially brought it to the attention of the Talibon Police.
Authorities have been receiving
reports of missing children and young women. Reports reaching the Chronicle showed that ports in Inabanga, Buenavista, Getafe and Talibon has been the preferred exit points for these alleged abductions. - Bohol Chronicle
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