Photo from Bea Policarpio
It was a Christmas miracle on any account. A daughter, missing for the past two days, returns home to be greeted by her loving family in time for Noche Buena. No one could have asked for a better ending to this heartwarming tale. No one except, of course, the public.
Now that the Policarpio family has been reunited in large part to the #FindIca campaign that mobilized netizens to look for the missing 17-year old Ica Policarpio, the public wants answers. The police have already ruled out abduction in this case. Which leaves the public confused. What really happened? Did Ica run away? If so, what could give an evidently well-loved young girl cause to leave home just days before Christmas?
The public’s curiosity has found its platform in the vicious comments section of news reports, blogs, and even the Facebook posts of Bea Policarpio – the sister of Ica. The demand for answers reeks of entitlement as social media users chime in on how, in their opinion, the Policarpios owe them an explanation. After all, as some of the more absurd social media users remark, they made the search for Ica public. And here is where all sense and decency vanish.
The #FindIca episode, I think we need reminding, was a family affair. Yes, the Policarpios appealed to public on a nationwide scale. And yes, it was the public’s support and cooperation that brought Ica home – something the family gratefully acknowledges. But the public’s right to an explanation ends when authorities announced that Ica was not the subject of a criminal act. There is no kidnapper picking on young girls, no public threat, that we should be made aware of this holiday season – although there is ongoing investigation that may lead to charges of corrupting a minor for having influenced Ica to run away.
In fact, if anyone bothers to really read the news, it was already hinted by both the authorities and the Policarpios that the incident arose from what seems to be an argument – the word used was “discussion” -- between Ica and her father. What these entitled netizens really want, it seems, is an intimate look at a private family matter. Something to satisfy the thirst for drama that this search campaign brought out of the public.
This is the price of the so-called “deal with the devil” certain blogs are referring to. The repercussions of appealing to the public at large. But, did we ever stop to think that the Policarpio didn’t even want to make this public in the first place? It seems to me that the cry for help came after they tried to locate their youngest daughter on their own. All the attention, I’ve no doubt, has taken a toll on their lives. They only resolved to this public plea for support out of desperation, out of immense worry for their daughter. Are we supposed to penalize them for that desperate measure by forcing them to air their dirty laundry for all the world to see?
No. I’d like to think that many netizens partook in the #FindIca campaign simply to help a family in need. I hope the same noble spirit that fueled cooperation in this search sparks a sense of decency in people to respect the Policarpio family’s request for privacy after undergoing a harrowing ordeal.
“Privilege”
Another issue on which several netizens have zeroed in is encapsulated in select words floating around, again, in the comments section of news sites, blogs, and social media. “Privilege” tops this list. It captures the frustration many people felt with the seemingly preferential treatment the Policarpios received in the handling of this case.
After all, many persons have gone missing and didn’t warrant the same attention Ica received. Potshots have been taken at family for their supposed privileged background – the family is composed of a lawyer couple and children who attend exclusive schools.
It cannot be denied that the resounding success of the #FindIca campaign received a major boost from its wide circulation in countless papers, celebrities appealing for support from their wide following, and the dedication of the police. The public alleges that it was the family’s influence that played a big part in garnering all this support.
But if the Policarpios did pull any strings, it does not take away from the smartness and diligence in which their daughter, Bea, orchestrated this entire search. She flooded social media with information that could lead to Ica’s sighting, appealed to the star power of known personalities, and coordinated with anyone and everyone who had leads. Millions of other Filipinos including, I’m sure, those who have missing relatives, have access to social media after all. But it took a brilliant move from a persistent and tech savvy millennial to fully utilize the advantages of social media.
If this effort was bolstered by her family’s connections, then good for them. There is only an issue about privilege here because the Policarpios alleged influence is exclusive.
The solution here is to provide the same network the Policarpios were able to utilize to find more and more missing persons. The influence and connections of families, celebrities, politicians, and the general public can be shared into a pooled network to support less influential, less tech savvy families in locating their loved ones. This can take the form of a mobile app, a social media group, or even a dedicated website to finding missing persons.
If there’s anything the #FindIca campaign proves, it’s that social media has the power to rally everyone behind an individual pursuit. It’s only a matter of helping others harness that power.
E~ĉe