Catherine Camilon’s mom tells missing daughter: ‘Masakit sa amin na ikaw ay wala’

Image: Facebook/Catherine Camilon

Rosario Camilon, mother of Miss Grand Philippines 2023 candidate Catherine Camilon who has been missing since Oct. 12, once again pleaded for help in locating her daughter.

In an interview with broadcasters Alvin Elchico and Doris Bigornia on Teleradyo Serbisyo on Tuesday, Oct. 17, Rosario gave an account of her conversation with Catherine when the latter left their home in Tuy, Batangas, on Thursday, Oct. 12.

“Nung umalis po siya dito, mga Huwebes ng gabi—maaga pa po, mga 6 p.m. Nagpaalam po siya sa akin, ang sabi niya, ‘Ina, pa-Batangas [City] ako.’ OK lang naman po sa akin at talagang napunta siya doon,” Rosario said.

(She left last Thursday at around 6 p.m. She told me, “Mom, I will go to Batangas City.” It was OK with me because she often goes there.)

“Sabi niya, ‘Sa Batangas lang po ako,’ ibig sabihin no’n hindi siya napasok ng school. ‘Yun ho ang pagkakaintindihan namin,” she continued. “Sapul sa simula, siya ay nagpapaalam kung ano ang kanyang gagawin, nagsasabi ho siya kung saan siya nandoon.”

(She told me, “I’ll be in Batangas,” so that meant she wasn’t going to the school [where she teaches]. That’s what I understand from what she said. She always makes it a point to notify us of her whereabouts.)

Rosario said that all their family members, relatives and Catherine’s friends had tried to call the beauty queen, but that her phone has been unavailable since Oct. 13.

When Elchico asked if Catherine has a boyfriend, Rosario noted that her daughter has not introduced anyone to their family yet. Rosario also said that her daughter doesn’t have enemies.

“Anak, ikaw ay aming hinihintay na. Saan ka man naroroon, ikaw ay umuwi na dito sa atin. Anuman ang meron sa iyo ngayon, umuwi ka at ikaw ay aming maiintindihan,” Rosario addressed Catherine.

(My child, we are waiting for you. Wherever you are, please come home. Come home and we will understand whatever is happening to you.)

“Wala ka namang sinasabi na kahit na anong problema mo, pero alam ko at nararamdaman ko na may iba—may iba sa’yo, anak,” she stated, stressing she feels her daughter has been going through something her family doesn’t know.

(You haven’t told me about anything that bothers you, but I know and I feel that something is off with you, my child.)

Rosario then expressed hope that Catherine would understand as well the suffering their family has been enduring over her absence.

“Kaya intindihin mo din kami. Isipin mo din, anak, na kami ay nahihirapan. Masakit sa amin na ikaw ay wala…,” Rosario appealed. “Uwi ka na, anak. Mahal na mahal ka namin.”

(So please consider [our feelings] as well. Please think of us and our pain, my child. It’s painful when you’re not here with us. Come home, my child. We love you so much.)

Tuy police chief Maj. Eugenio Napthali Solomon earlier said that authorities looking into the disappearance of Catherine had yet to establish a lead.

Solomon, however, assured that they had already alerted police stations in nearby provinces and have started tracking the registered owner of the vehicle Camilon drove when she disappeared.

Camilon, who also works as a model and public-school teacher in Batangas, represented Tuy at the Miss Grand Philippines 2023 pageant last July.  /ra