Wednesday, September 05, 2007 DOH man set to come home: vice mayor By Stephen Capillas
THE Department of Health (DOH) Northern Mindanao draftsman who went missing since last Saturday morning is expected to return sometime Tuesday or Wednesday, according to local officials.
In separate interviews, Vice Mayor Vicente Emano and Regional DOH Director Dr. Julito Saburnido received word from sources that DOH draftsman Luis Simbajon is scheduled to arrive in the city.
"I got a text message from Simbajon's cell phone hours after his wife visited me at my office informing me that he will return home. From what I gathered, he is still in Cagayan de Oro," Emano said.
Luis Simbajon was last seen by neighbors in Camella Homes subdivision in Cagayan de Oro, clad in shorts, a blue T-shirt, and black sandals with blue straps at 6 a.m. last Saturday.
His wife Vangie got distraught after failing to receive word from him through his cell phone and his family and co-workers contacted friends and relatives in Cagayan de Oro for his whereabouts to no avail.
Emano declined to give reasons behind Simbajon's disappearance, saying he might do so once the DOH draftsman shows up.
"All I can say is that he should not cause undue concern to his wife and family. He has a son to think of and I heard from his wife that his mother had just died due to a heart attack," Emano said in Visayan.
For his part, Saburnido hopes that Simbajon would return and that as far as he knows, there was "no other party" involved in the case.
He also learned that Simbajon and his wife had an argument the day before the draftman's departure but did not elaborate.
"He is still liable for penalties because he went absent without leave (AWOL) but he can file his leave owing to personal reasons," Saburnido said in Visayan.
Concern for Simbajon's safety arose days after a Chinese-Filipino businessman reported missing was found dead in a remote barangay in Iligan City late last month.
"We want to assure visitors and investors that the City Government is doing its best to protect them from criminal and rebel elements," Emano said.
