The two 15-year-old students from San Jose National High School returned home on Saturday night after seeing the missing persons reports filed by their families.
Jobert Padul and Trisha Jane Teodones were reported missing on September 28 when both teens failed to come home after their classes. Their parents filed police reports and alerted local media outlets when they were unable to contact them.
In an interview with Palawan News, Arlene Teodones, the mother of Trisha, said that they returned on September 30 to the Padul residence in Brgy. San Manuel, where they were reunited with their parents and questioned by the police about their whereabouts.
The teens had stayed in cottages near BM Beach but decided to return on Saturday after turning on their phones and seeing the messages and posts searching for both of them. They reportedly took a long commute from BM Beach and got lost in Brgy. San Jose before circling back to San Manuel, as they did not have experience in taking public transportation by themselves.
Arlene was relieved upon learning of the teens’ safety, noting that the two were unharmed and feared the backlash from their noted absence.
Arlene said that she was more disappointed by the vulgar comments found under the teens’ missing person’s posts on social media outlets.
“Grabe po kasi yung mga comments nila, masakit sa dibdib yung mga nababasa ko. Sana hindi naman ganoon kasi mga minor naman ito, wala naman sa isip nila yung mga ganoong bagay,” Arlene said.
She said that her, her husband, and Jobert’s parents were mostly worried about the two facing harassment from their peers once they return to school. The parties had agreed that for the benefit of their well-being, they will temporarily have modular classes instead of going to school.
Arlene expressed her gratitude to the authorities who helped assist in bringing the two of them home.
