inklingfair As Bebe and I were leaving Pinggan today, the Inquirer headline caught my eye – the body of Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell was found buried in Batad. Two things flashed through my mind – First: Don Quixote, USA, which actually made me want to run away from home and join the Peace Corps a lifetime ago (right, like they’d let me.). I found myself telling the story to Bebe in its entirety walking home, completely forgetting that we were being cooked under the hot summer sun (for the record, 35.6 degrees Celcius). Second, the fact that Joie had been in Batad only a few weeks ago. She showed Bebe and me pictures just last weekend. Stroke of irony – Campbell’s last entry’s title was “Buhay Pa Tayo” (“Still Alive”).
Eduardo Angara was quoted saying that her death “was very saddening but it would make everyone feel better if the cause was just a pure accident.” Uh, *facepalm*. I think it would actually make GMA (the president, not the TV station) happier if she was captured. The better to squash the guerilla forces with an iron fist, my dear. But for the sake of the guerilla troops and civilians in the “Berdugo” Palparan area, I hope it wasn’t them. There have been enough killings already.
Photo by AR on Unsplash. Probably not Batad, but similar rice terraces.
