‘He’s accountable’ - Campbell

July 22, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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campbell-mom.gifText and photo by Bing C. Branigin
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia - “I just pray that one day he will find God in his life, repent and have remorse for his evil actions.”
This was the reaction of Mrs. Linda Campbell to the June 30 sentencing by a Philippine court of the killer of her daughter, Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell in Ifugao last year.
She also expressed her happiness for the honor of meeting President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her working visit to Washington D.C. last month. She told this writer “It was my honor to meet the President and she was so gracious in her remarks to me. I was happy for her to meet us as well to see that we are just a normal family who do not blame the Filipino people but do hold accountable the one young man who took Julia’s life.”
She said Geary C. Morris, Julia’s elder sister, called from the courtroom in Ifugao to inform her about the judge’s decision to sentence Juan Donald Duntugan to 40 years in jail without the benefit of parole.
“She has since returned home and has filled in details,” she added.

Our family reaction to the verdict is that “this is what we hoped, that it would be as we believe that, if allowed to be out in society, Duntugan would brutally
attack another person. It doesn’t change the fact that Julia was brutally attacked, murdered, buried and is so missed by all of us and it doesn’t change the fact that his wife Grace must now struggle to raise her children alone but it does hold him accountable for his actions. I just pray that one day he will find God in his life, repent and have remorse for his evil actions.”
Mrs. Campbell told the Manila Mail about their foundation, the Julia Campbell Memorial Foundation, which has already awarded its first scholarship here in Fairfax at WT Woodson High School where Julia graduated in 1985.
“I am working with a Peace Corps group to identify and award a scholarship in the PI. The Foundation will continue to assist Linell with library needs at Donsol Comprehensive High School and also the Eco-center in Bicol region.
“I was able to visit the Julia Campbell Park in Asipulo. It is beautiful
land that was donated by families in the area and they have organic
farming, are rescuing civits, and have built an area to hold meetings
and retreats. any money that is made from any of these ventures will go
back into their community. They have a wonderful group of volunteers
and are kind and conscientious people! It was such a pleasure to visit
with them.”
Mrs. Campbell also thanked this writer for giving her a copy of the picture showing her meeting the President during her visit.
BANAUE, Ifugao - It’s 40 years without the benefit of parole.
This was the verdict of a Judge Ester Piscoso-Flor of the Ifugao Regional Trial Court 34 who found Juan Donald Duntugan, a native of La Trinidad, Benguet, guilty of killing US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell last year.
Besides imposing the maximum sentence, the judge also ordered Duntugan to pay at least P39 million in damages to the family of the 40-year-old Campbell. Of the amount, P75,000 is civil indemnity for the death, $12,600 or P564,100 for funeral expenses, $871,676 or P39 million for her loss of earning capacity, P75,000 for moral damages, and P25,000 for exemplary damages.
Duntugan stood emotionless before the judge in the jampacked courtroom.
However, when the court interpreter read the verdict to him in his native language, Duntugan’s face changed to a pained grimace.
Campbell’s elder sister Geary Morris said after the reading of the
verdict that she harbored “no bad feelings” against the people of the
province or the country, adding that it was “just a case of a man who
made a bad decision.”
US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said she was “glad the case ended” for all
of us it’s important now to move on.” She noted the arrival of a new
group of 64 Peace Corps volunteers who will spend two years in the country.
In her 36-page decision, Flor said she took into consideration the
aggravating circumstances of abuse of superior strength and treachery as
factors in convicting Duntugan of murder instead of homicide.
“An attack made by a man with a deadly weapon upon an unarmed and
defenseless woman constitutes the circumstance of abuse that superiority
which his sex, and the weapon used in the act afforded him, and by means
of which the woman was overcome and rendered unable to defend herself,”
read the decision.
Flor said the fact that Campbell had sustained at least 15 injuries in
different parts of her body showed clearly that Duntugan had employed
abuse of strength.
“The sudden and unexpected attack of Duntugan on Campbell, even granting
that he mistook her for a neighbor with whom he had a grudge, was proof
of the aggravating circumstance of treachery,” read the decision.
In Manila, Kenney said “I’m glad the case ended.”
“I think for all of us it’s important now to move on. Julia Campbell is
someone we’ve lost and won’t get back. Our Peace Corps is trying to
continue the work that meant a lot to her.”
The US embassy said the new group of volunteers arrived to work with the
US Peace Corps development programs in education, coastal resources
management, children, youth and family.
While the court interpreters read for nearly two hours the decision
giving the ghastly details of how Duntugan had brutally killed Campbell
with pieces of rock and wood, her elder sister and colleagues from the
US Peace Corps could not help but be teary eyed.
“I have no bad feelings against the people of Ifugao, Banaue or Batad
village and the whole Philippines,” said the 43-year-old Morris, holding
back her tears.
She looked forward to coming back to the country and bringing her
friends so that they could see the beautiful scenery of Banaue, Morris said.
After giving interviews to media here, Morris, along with US Peace Corps
officials, left Banaue aboard a vehicle with diplomatic plates.
After the verdict was read, Duntugan was quickly handcuffed and whisked
out of the courtroom into a van of the Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology to be brought back to jail.
Duntugan’s wife and close relatives also hastily left the court in tears.
The Duntugan couple has three children, including a less than one-year-old baby who was born during Duntugan’s trial.
Duntugan’s lawyers said that they will appeal the verdict to the Court
of Appeals.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under Articles/Stories 

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