People vs. Duntugan (or Updates on the Campbell Case)

30 April: Yesterday, the Philippine National Police charged Juan Duntugan with murder before the prosecutor’s office in Lagawe, Ifugao. Duntugan confessed to killing Julia Campbell after she allegedly bumped him at the back.

According to his story, he thought that it was his neighbor, with whom he had a rift, who bumped him so he retaliated by hitting that person’s head with a stone. It turns out that that person was not his neighbor but Julia Campbell.

Ifugao Police Director Pedro Ganir explains why they charged Duntugan with murder: “We filed murder because of the presence of the element of intent to kill.” Source: GMA News.

Our take: We’re not quite sure if the correct charge is murder and not homicide (which carries a lighter penalty). If the police is basing the charge on Duntugan’s confession, which appears to be what they are doing, then clearly (at least from where we sit) there was no intent to kill Julia. But let’s see what the Ifugao Prosecutor’s Office will decide on this one.

RELATED POSTS: Missing in Ifugao; Video Updates on Julia Campbell; On Juan Dontogan’s Surrender and Confession. PHOTO CREDIT: ABS-CBN.

8 thoughts on “People vs. Duntugan (or Updates on the Campbell Case)”

  1. how he couldn’t recognized Julia when both of them aproaching each other on the same narrow path. malayo pa lang kita niya na si Julia na makakasalubong niya sa makitid na daan na yun, imposibleng hindi niya makikilala kung babae o hindi kase maliwanag pa yung 6:00pm, sabi niya noong makilala niyang hindi pala yung kaaway niya, e tinuluyan na niyang patayin… so maliwanag na murder.

  2. Hi Anonymous,
    Thanks for your comment. According to his confession, Julia bumped him at the back so they were not approaching each other. Whether or not the proper charge is homicide or murder, well we have different takes on that. But really, it would be the public prosecutor who determines the proper charge against Duntugan. Thanks again.

  3. Hi Anonymous,
    Thanks for your comment, it reminded me to do an update on this case with the new developments. Unfortunately hindi yata puwede yong ganung sampahan siya ng mixed na charge. Based on news reports naman parang the Ifugao prosecutor din yata is having a hard time deciding on what the proper charge would be. Thanks again.

  4. Was waiting for you to comment on this one first, prior to me putting in my two cents.
    To Anonymous 9:41, please, huwag namang padalus-dalus. If you base everything on the current investigations, to me, the most they can charge him is maybe homicide and simple theft only, that’s me. Only coz’ Juan never intended to kill JC and her camera was not taken. Only her umbrella and hat were found in his house and I see no robbery in that regard. While most of us want justice for JC, democracy still thrive in the Philippines, and the outcome of this case cannot be dictated by anyone whose motive is only one way. We are all on the outside looking in. Cheers….

  5. they’re having a hard time filing a murder case on duntugan simply because they dont have enough evidence except duntugan’s sworn affidavit which only confesses to a homicide killing.maybe they’re trying some ‘creative ways’ to make duntugan revise his statement and upgrade it to murder.

  6. Hi Anonymous,
    Yup, I agree with you. I hope they won’t allow themselves to be pressured by the U.S. embassy. Haay, I really have to make an update on this post given the recent developments. Thanks for joining us here and we hope you continue to visit in the future.

  7. Hi Trublue,
    Pretty much agree with your assessment that we are all on the outside looking in. We don’t have copies of Duntugan’s sworn statement so we don’t have the specifics on what he confessed to. From what I’ve read, he confessed to killing Julia but not intentionally doing so. Unless authorities have evidence that there was intent on his part, I don’t see how a murder charge would hold in court.

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