Catherine Camilon’s family hopes she will still be found, nearly a year after disappearance

The family of beauty pageant contestant Catherine Camilon has welcomed the news that two suspects in her disappearance have been arrested, and continue to hope that she will be found, almost a year after she went missing.

“Wala ho akong ibang hinihiling kung hindi sabihin nila yung totoo kung nasaan ang aking anak, kung ano ang ginawa nila, kung saan nila dinala, 'yun lang. Sapul sa simula wala na ho ako hiniling na iba kundi malaman kung nasaan ang aming anak,” Camilon’s mother Rose said in Jun Veneracion’s Thursday report on 24 Oras.

(There's nothing I am asking for but for them to tell the truth about where my daughter is, what they did to her, and where they took her, that's all. Since the beginning, there's nothing more that I have wanted than to know where my daughter is.)

Catherine Camilon was reported missing in October 2023. A month later, authorities recovered a vehicle with blood and hair strands whose DNA profile matched that provided by her parents.

On Saturday, September 14, authorities arrested former Police Major Allan de Castro and his driver-bodyguard Jeffrey Magpantay in Balayan, Batangas for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of the beauty queen.

The two men are facing kidnapping and serious illegal detention for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of the beauty queen. The charges were initially dropped in May due to a lack of evidence, but now both suspects face the same charges with no recommended bail filed by the Batangas Regional Trial Court.

“Based sa ating operatives, yung naghuli sa kanila, is naging cooperative naman sila,” said Police lieutenant Colonel Chitadel Gauiran, Police Regional Office 4A spokesperson.

(Based on our operatives who arrested them, the suspects became cooperative.)

De Castro is believed to be the last person Camilon was with before her disappearance. He was also alleged to be in a relationship with the missing beauty queen, which he denied.

De Castro also denied his involvement in Camilon’s disappearance. He also denied that he was supposed to meet her on the day she went missing.

The suspects are detained at the Balayan Municipal Police Station.

“Sa totoo lang ang sakit nandoon yung maraming pain, nandoon yung takot at hirap sa pakiramdam na nandiyan sila pero wala ho ang aming anak,” Rose Camilon said.

(In all honesty, the pain is there. There is a lot of pain. There is fear and it is difficult to feel that they are there but our daughter is still not found.)

The search for Camilon continues, but police admit there is no clue of her whereabouts.

“Of course siyempre medyo habang tumatagal ay nagiging slim yung chance natin pero still siyempre we are still hoping na makita natin si Catherine. Pero siyempre nag-expect din tayo ng worst,” Gauiran said.

(Of course, as time passes, our chances are getting slim. We're still hoping to find Catherine but at the same time, we're expecting the worst.)

“Kung ano man ang magiging kahihinatnan, nandoon yung pag-asa na isang araw baka bumalik pa rin siya sa amin,” Camilon’s mother said.

(Whatever the results are, we are still hoping that one day, Catherine will come back to us.) — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News