MANILA - The family of Ica Policarpio is grateful to those who helped in finding of the 17-year-old girl who was reported missing last Thursday in Muntinlupa City.
Policarpio was found safe in San Pablo, Laguna Sunday, just in time for Christmas Eve with the help of netizens Archie Delos Santos, Yra Reyes and Danica Bragado, and tricycle driver Manuel Fronda.
Delos Santos first posted a comment on Facebook saying he saw someone who looked like Policarpio, crying in a gutter along a street in San Pablo near an SSS branch, on Saturday night.
"Ang akala ko napagsarhan siya ng gate kaya siya malungkot," he told ABS-CBN News on Monday, Christmas Day.
On the same night, Yra Reyes and Danica Bragado took a selfie in a coffee shop and accidentally caught a photo of what looked like Policarpio. They immediately posted the photo on social media.
"Noong una, ayaw pa namin kasi baka mali kami at sabihin na nanggugulo lang kami. Pero naisip din namin na bahala na kasi baka tama naman," Reyes told ABS-CBN News.
Policarpio's sister Bea reached out to the netizens immediately through social media and passed on the information to the authorities.
Early Sunday morning, Fronda reported to barangay officials and the police that he saw Policarpio near a burger stand in Barangay II-B. This led to the finding of the teen.
"Masaya [po kami]. Pakiramdam namin parang mga kaanak na rin kami nung nahanap siya," said Reyes when she saw the news that the Policarpio and her family have finally reunited.
The Policarpios are grateful to them but are asking the public to respect their decision to not issue any explanations about what happened to Ica and why she was in San Pablo. -- report from Niko Baua, ABS-CBN News