Missing Cebu lawyer surfaces at shopping center parking lot

Lawyer Sarah Calipayan covers her face from the media with her husband, Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan. / CDN

The lady lawyer who went missing for nearly 12 hours surfaced at the parking lot of a shopping center in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City where she left her car on Tuesday evening.

Lawyer Sarah Cabrera-Calipayan, 33, was safe.

Sarah was walking towards her car at the parking lot of the Banilad Shopping Center past 11 a.m. on Wednesday when she was hugged tightly by her husband, lawyer Jamaal James Calipayan, who was relieved to see her alive. Jamal and Sarah both cried as they hugged.

They did not issue any statement to the media and went out of the parking lot on board a white van.

Chief Insp. Maria Theresa Macatangay, chief of the Police Station 2 in Cebu City, said Sarah confided to her that she suffered intense depression and anxiety, prompting her to drink liquor at the Banilad Town Center on Tuesday night before she checked in a nearby hotel, leaving her car at the parking lot of the shopping center.

“She drank heavily last night. She chose not to go home, and not to talk to anyone. She was too drunk to go home and drive her car,” Macatangay said in an interview shortly after she talked to Sarah.

“Intense depression and anxiety will cause a person to do unimaginable things. We don’t blame anyone. We’re just happy that things turn out to be well,” she added.

Jamaal, in an interview an hour before his wife surfaced, said Sarah had problems with her work at a real estate company in Cebu where she worked as a legal officer.

“She already tendered her resignation,” said Jamaal, the chief of staff of Rep. Jonas Cortes of Cebu’s sixth district.

Sarah’s Honda City car was found at the shopping center parking lot at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, about eight hours after he allegedly went missing.

In his Facebook post, Jamaal said their family was able to receive a text message from his wife at 11 p.m. and again at 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday, saying the latter was on her way home.

“(But) she has not come home and her cell phone cannot be reached. It should’ve taken 30 mins only,” said Jamaal.

At around 7 a.m., Jamaal received a text message from Sarah, saying she just slept somewhere due to anxiety.

Since Sarah already showed herself up, Macatangay said the case is now considered closed.

“No more investigation. We’re formally declaring this case to be closed. I don’t see any liability on the part of Atty. Sarah as she was suffering from anxiety. That is an illness. Good that she didn’t commit suicide,” the police official said.

Macatangay refused to dwell on other possible aspects behind Sarah’s disappearance.

“What is clear is she is back, and that is the most important thing,” she said.    /muf