• 2007.04.15: April 15, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: Personal Web site: Philippines Peace Corps Volunteers Abbey and Owen write: Missing Volunteer  Thursday, May 24, 2007 - 10:55 am [1]

• 2007.04.17: April 17, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: GMA News: Philippine national police chief says Campbell might have fallen  Tuesday, April 17, 2007 - 7:40 am [2]

• 2007.04.16: April 16, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: Inquirer: Authorities say Missing Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell not abducted  Monday, April 16, 2007 - 10:47 pm [1]

• 2007.04.16: April 16, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: GMA News: Police are considering asking for help from the US Embassy to look for missing US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell  Monday, April 16, 2007 - 6:23 pm [1]

• 2007.04.16: April 16, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: Manila Standard Today: Police are looking at a crime or a possible accident for disappearance of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell  Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 11:58 pm [1]

• 2007.04.16: April 16, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: The Daily Tribune: Philippine National Police told to intensify search for missing Peace Corps volunteer Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 11:34 pm [1]

• 2007.04.16: April 16, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: Manila Times: Search widens for missing Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell  Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 3:42 pm [1]

• 2007.04.15: April 15, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: Manila Bulletin: Massive search launched for missing Peace Corps volunteer  Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 1:09 pm [1]

• 2007.04.15: April 15, 2007: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Journalism: Manila Bulletin: Malacañang assured the US government that policemen are scouring the jungles of Ifugao province in search of a missing female US Peace Corps volunteer  Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 1:08 pm [1]

Authorities searching for the missing US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell have made no breakthrough in their two-day operation



Supt. Joseph Adnol, Cordillera police spokesman, said teams created to search for Campbell had not reported any development in their search and rescue operations for the missing humanitarian worker. Meanwhile, Campbell’s family had thanked the Peace Corps for their immediate response to her disappearance and their continued search and rescue efforts in Banaue where she was last seen. “We are grateful to the US Embassy in the Philippines and especially the [Filipino] people who are doing all they can to locate her," US Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop quoted the Campbells as saying.

Authorities searching for the missing US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell have made no breakthrough in their two-day operation

Cops fail to find missing Peace Corps volunteer

04/15/2007 | 08:10 PM

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet - Authorities searching for the missing US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell have made no breakthrough in their two-day operation, a police spokesman said Sunday.

Campbell, 40, was last seen on April 8 in the town of Banaue in Ifugao province, where she had planned to hike alone, said US Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop.

Supt. Joseph Adnol, Cordillera police spokesman, said teams created to search for Campbell had not reported any development in their search and rescue operations for the missing humanitarian worker.

Meanwhile, Campbell’s family had thanked the Peace Corps for their immediate response to her disappearance and their continued search and rescue efforts in Banaue where she was last seen.

“We are grateful to the US Embassy in the Philippines and especially the [Filipino] people who are doing all they can to locate her," US Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop quoted the Campbells as saying.

Lussenhop said the Peace Corps started looking for Campbell after she missed appointments on April 11.

"The Filipino authorities have been working very hard, using helicopters and local guides for a very extensive search," Lussenhop said. Security officers from the embassy and Peace Corps also were in the area to help, he said.

Regional police commander Chief Superintendent Raul Gonzales said at least four teams from the provincial police office had been mobilized for the search, after the US Embassy told them Campbell was missing.

He said the directive to conduct the search came from the national police headquarters in Manila.

Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang said members of an Army company in Banaue also joined the search Saturday, after receiving an order from the military's Northern Luzon Command.

"We were unaware of the incident. We learned only today that someone has been missing," he said.

Maclang, commander of the 5th Infantry Division based in Isabela, east of Ifugao, said informants have told the military that Campbell had also traveled to the mountain tourist town of Sagada in nearby Mountain Province.

She was seen arriving on April 8 by motorcycle taxi at a Banaue road junction leading to nearby Batad village, from where she had planned to hike to a spot to view the rice terraces, he said.

Campbell also contacted a local masseuse to meet her at the Village Inn in Batad, but did not show up for her 6:30 p.m. Sunday appointment, Maclang said.

He said she also had a bus reservation to go back to Manila on April 9 because she had to catch a flight the next day. He did not know where she was headed from the Philippine capital.

He said there is only a small military presence in area because "it is not a major concern now with regard to the insurgency."

As early as Thursday, local police started checking hotel and inn guest lists for Campbell's name, receptionist Lea Ananayo at the Halfway Lodge in Banaue said by telephone.

Authorities also left Campbell's photos to be displayed in hotel lobbies, shops and market stalls in the town.

Campbell, of Fairfax, Virginia, has been teaching college in Albay province's Legazpi city, southeast of Manila, since March 2005.

The embassy appealed to the public for any information on the welfare and whereabouts of Campbell, described as 1.7 meters (5 feet 7 inches) tall, with blonde hair and glasses. It offered a reward, but did not specify an amount.

Campbell, who worked as a journalist in New York, contributed a story to the CNN about the death and destruction in the wake of supertyphoon Durian, which hit Legazpi City in late November.

Writing in her Internet blog, she said she "decided to step out of the rat race of New York" to join the Peace Corps when she was 38.

In an entry on May 27, 2005, two months after her arrival in the Philippines, she expressed anticipation about no longer having "the comfort of fellow Americans within reach."

"I will be left to my own devices in a strange place with people and a culture I barely know. Though it is both terrifying and exciting, I look forward to finally starting what I came here to do: to immerse myself in a foreign culture, speak the language and try to do some good in the world," she wrote. "Let the games begin."

Campbell is one of 137 Peace Corps volunteers currently in the Philippines.

More than 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in the Philippines since 1961, making it the corps' second-oldest program in the world, the embassy said.

In 1990, the NPA seized Peace Corps volunteer Timothy Swanson and held him for 50 days on central Negros island. He was released unharmed to the Red Cross after the late Roman Catholic Bishop Antonio Fortich helped negotiate with his captors.

In June that year, the US government ordered the evacuation of Peace Corps workers from the Philippines after receiving intelligence that rebels may try to kill or kidnap them. But by that time, Swanson already was in rebel hands.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: April, 2007; Peace Corps Philippines; Directory of Philippines RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Philippines RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Journalism

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March 14, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Evacuated PCVs attend Festival on the Niger in Mali 23 Feb Tom Bissell tells the story of how Vietnam came home 13 Mar Mike Honda cites Japan's Sex Slavery 8 Mar Donna Shalala co-chairs presidential commission 7 Mar Sixth Anniversary of Disappearance of PCV Walter Poirier 6 Mar Sam Farr was de-selected during Peace Corps Training 6 Mar Elaine Jones would be good fit for NAACP President 6 Mar Pat Waak re-elected chairwoman of Colorado Dems 5 Mar Astronaut Mae Jemison was PC Medical Officer 4 Mar Guy Consolmagno blends faith and science 3 Mar Doyle Turns Down Federal Abstinence Money 3 Mar Owen Cylke writes: Taxi in the Rain 2 Mar Jody Olsen receives "Founder’s Day" Award 2 Mar Chris Dodd introduces PCV Empowerment Act 1 Mar Michael O'Hanlon writes: Iraq Deserves One More Chance 1 Mar An Excerpt from Jan Worth's Night Blind 28 Feb David Harde sentenced for Medical Marijuana 28 Feb Oscar winner Helen Mirren congratulated by RPCV husband 26 Feb RPCVs distribute mosquito nets 25 Feb Peter McPherson new Chairman of Dow Jones 21 Feb Arabic speakers under-utilized in Homeland Security 9 Feb Dr. J. Michael Taylor co- founded Konbit Sante 4 Feb

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February 23, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Hill announces Draft Accord in North Korea Nuclear Talks 12 Feb Dodd builds connections in New Hampshire 19 Feb PCVs accused of counterinsurgency activities 19 Feb Harris Wofford declares support for Obama 18 Feb Tschetter becomes the first Director to visit Malawi 16 Feb New Fellows Program at Yale University 15 Feb Sidney Slover helps start donut production in Honduras 16 Feb Kevin O'Donnell's Daughter and Granddaughter are PCVs 14 Feb Joe Krueger helps restore Liberia's timber industry 14 Feb Peace Corps Hippies 13 Feb Maryland RPCVs to screen "American Idealist" on March 3 9 Feb Aaron Kase writes: Moon over Africa 8 Feb Margaret Krome writes: 'Rogue nations' aren't only threat 8 Feb Shays says he would Support McCain 8 Feb A Mistrial for Lieut. Watada 8 Feb Chris Matthews drops the F-bomb 8 Feb RPCVs - Believe it or not 07 Feb White House requests $334 Million for Peace Corps 5 Feb Carol Bellamy writes: We need an Earth Corps 3 Feb First Group of PCVs arrive in Cambodia 2 Feb Mae Jemison wears red for charity 2 Feb Dear Miss Lonelyhearts 30 Jan

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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

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Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

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He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

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Meet Ron Tschetter - Our Next Director Read our story about Ron Tschetter's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was carried on C-Span. It was very different from the Vasquez hearings in 2001, very cut and dried with low attendance by the public. Among the highlights, Tschetter intends to make recruitment of baby boomers a priority, there are 20 countries under consideration for future programs, Senator Dodd intends to re-introduce his third goal Peace Corps legislation this session, Tschetter is a great admirer of Senator Coleman's quest for accountability, Dodd thinks management at PC may not put volunteers first, Dodd wants Tschetter to look into problems in medical selection, and Tschetter is not a blogger and knows little about the internet or guidelines for volunteer blogs. Read our recap of the hearings as well as Senator Coleman's statement and Tschetter's statement.

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Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

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The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

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PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

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History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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