Man sought in killing of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell



Police are looking for a man who may have been involved in the death of a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in a mountainous tourist area in the northern Philippines, officials said Thursday. Regional police chief Raul Gonzales said that a witness claimed he saw a man in the area of the shallow grave in Banaue township where Julia Campbell's body was found on Wednesday, 10 days after she went missing. Police suspect foul play. Senior Superintendent Pedro Ganir, police chief of Ifugao province, which includes Banaue, said the man was the husband of a woman who sold a Coca-Cola to Campbell before she headed off on a hike in the area's famed mountainside rice terraces, a World Heritage site. Ganir said investigators were looking into "robbery with homicide or rape with homicide," although an autopsy on Campbell's body has not yet been carried out. He said officers also recovered her other belongings scattered near the body, including coins and clothes.


Man sought in killing of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell

Man sought in Philippines killing of Fairfax woman

By OLIVER TEVES
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

MANILA, Philippines -- Police are looking for a man who may have been involved in the death of a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in a mountainous tourist area in the northern Philippines, officials said Thursday.

Regional police chief Raul Gonzales said that a witness claimed he saw a man in the area of the shallow grave in Banaue township where Julia Campbell's body was found on Wednesday, 10 days after she went missing. Police suspect foul play.

Senior Superintendent Pedro Ganir, police chief of Ifugao province, which includes Banaue, said the man was the husband of a woman who sold a Coca-Cola to Campbell before she headed off on a hike in the area's famed mountainside rice terraces, a World Heritage site.

Ganir said investigators were looking into "robbery with homicide or rape with homicide," although an autopsy on Campbell's body has not yet been carried out.

He said officers also recovered her other belongings scattered near the body, including coins and clothes.

Jun Addug, a Banaue councilor, said the witness was a 13-year-old boy.

The man police are trying to find allegedly rushed down to a dry creek when he realized the boy had spotted him, municipal council member Jun Addug said after speaking with the teenager.

The boy, who did not see Campbell, later saw the same man going back up to the trail from the creek, Addug told The Associated Press by telephone from Banaue.

The man has been missing since, Addug said.

President Gloria Magapagal Arroyo's spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, said the government was cooperating with U.S. officials in the investigation.

"It is unfortunate that a committed and selfless person who has ... obviously grown to love our country met a tragic end here," Bunye said in a statement.

Soldiers searching for Campbell - a freelance journalist who had reported for The New York Times and other media organizations - found one of her feet sticking out from the shallow grave in the dry mountain creek in Banaue, famed for its mountainside rice terraces, a World Heritage site.

Army Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang said soldiers reported the body was covered with soil, gravel and grass.

Campbell's body, which was flown to Manila Thursday. A team of U.S. forensic pathologists based in Japan will arrive Saturday to observe the autopsy, said Geary Barias, chief of the police Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.

Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter said Campbell, who was among 137 volunteers currently in the Philippines, "contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens."

"Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens," Tschetter said in a statement. He described her as "a dedicated and vibrant volunteer, who so loved this country."

He had traveled to the Philippines to join the search for Campbell, and he praised the local police effort to find her as "incredible."

In a statement, Campbell's family in Fairfax, Va., said she "lived a very full life."

"She loved her family and friends and is much loved. She was passionate in her journalism reporting especially the stories involving people who were able to stand and address adversity or adverse situations," the statement said.

"We have every confidence that the U.S. and Philippine authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into Julia's untimely death."

Campbell had been teaching English at the Divine Word College in Albay province's Legazpi city, southeast of Manila, since October 2006.

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; Crime

When this story was posted in April 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

---

Subscribe to Peace Corps News Don't miss our new web site, Peace Corps News, for the latest news about the Returned Volunteer community and what is going on with the Peace Corps around the world. Subscribe to our news feed to get Peace Corps news delivered to your desk as it happens. Then visit the Peace Corps Library, History of the Peace Corps, the worldwide RPCV Directory or leave a message for the RPCV community on the RPCV Bulletin Board.

---

---

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

---

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

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

Read the stories and leave your comments.