THE 19-YEAR-OLD girl who was reported missing on March 22, 2022 was already found with her boyfriend in Tabogon town, northern Cebu on Wednesday evening, March 30.
Personnel of the Consolacion Police Station were able locate Jherica Auman in Barangay Manlagtang, Tabogon town in northern Cebu at Wednesday night, March 30, 2022.
Contrary to reports that she was allegedly kidnapped, Auman visited the town to meet with her boyfriend, Herbert Berdin.
When police arrived in the area, they found Auman watching her boyfriend playing basketball.
Auman’s mother Marifel reported her daughter’s alleged kidnapping last March 22, when the girl failed to return home in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion town.
Marifel told SunStar Cebu her daughter and Berdin had just become lovers a week prior to the incident.
She recalled that their daughter had been embarrassed after being scolded by her father for having a relationship with Berdin, whom he accused of having an involvement in illegal drugs.
Jherica was again scolded by her father when several men who introduced themselves as Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas operatives went to their home looking for her, prompting her to go to Lapu-Lapu City to meet her boyfriend.
Marifel began to worry when her daughter messaged her that she was brought to an undisclosed area.
She also appealed to her mother that she wanted to go home but couldn’t as she had no money.
Auman later admitted to her mother that she was not kidnapped.
Auman told her mother that she and Berdin went to Barangay Calawisan in Lapu-Lapu City for a stroll, but they later quarreled after a drinking session.
During their argument, Auman and Berdin reportedly pushed one another until they fell off a shallow cliff around midnight.
Auman admitted she was not familiar with the place they where in, which resulted to her messaging her mother.
But Auman, however, did not regret eloping with Berdin.
Local police in Consolacion were able to locate Berdin and Auman through one of their friends, Ramil Tumulak.
In a separate interview, Col. Engelbert Soriano, head of the Cebu Police Provincial Office, said they could not file any criminal complaint against Berdin. (GPL, AYB / TPT)