(Eagle News) — The family of the 17-year-old girl who went missing in Muntinlupa but was later found denied that her disappearance was just a “prank.”
In a Facebook post, Bea Policarpio said her sister Ica, who was found safe in Laguna over the weekend, denied she had joined a so-called “48-hour challenge,” noting that the 17-year-old had “no knowledge whatsoever” of the game in the first place.
The 48-hour challenge, which is supposedly trending in other parts of the world, sees children go missing for two days.
They get a point every time they get a social media mention because of their disappearance.
“My sister Ica disappeared from home last Thursday night, December 21, out of deep emotional distress. The reasons for her distress are numerous and honestly, private,” Policarpio, who was speaking on behalf of her family, said.
Policarpio did not say what these reasons were, but noted that her sister was “being evaluated medically.”
“..And it is our family’s sole responsibility to understand what has caused her to carry so much pain not just in the recent past, but apparently, for several months, and even years prior. Be assured that we are doing everything we can to make sure that she receives the medical attention and emotional support that she needs,” she said.
She also called on the public to “not judge” her sister, whose disappearance prompted police to organize a nationwide search.
She said the 17-year-old “does not deserve our blind judgment and hate.”
“If there’s anything positive that we hope can result from this experience, it is to raise awareness about the stigma of mental health and the growing culture of hate which unfortunately exists in our country’s cyberspace, and collective mind space. If anything, this hate culture is a desperate call for help. Let us answer this call with nothing but love, as difficult as this may be,” she said.