Tragedy not spared from prank callers

“Stop making prank calls and spreading rumors.”

This is what Sorensen Media Group Saipan branch manager Tina B. Palacios has to say to some community members who call radio stations, the family’s phone lines, and volunteer hotlines just to give false information, and, oftentimes, “bad rumor” about the two girls who went missing two weeks ago.

“There are some people out there who are really mean and would call us to say that we should go to the hospital morgue to identify the girls’ bodies, or that they found the girls in plastic bags. People need to stop that. These are two missing human beings. They need to stop making up stories,” she said in a phone interview yesterday.

Palacios, who is the grandaunt of sisters Faloma and Maleina Luhk, called on these people to be more sympathetic to the girls who have been deprived of their safety.

“Whoever is playing around needs to stop. This is not a joke. It’s sad. We need to find the girls,” she told Saipan Tribune.

Palacios said she is close to both Faloma Luhk, 10, and Maleina Luhk, 9, who were reportedly last seen sitting on a drainage cement slab across the bus stop near their As Teo residence around 6:10am on May 25, more than two weeks ago.

Faloma was last seen wearing a white blouse and a pair of blue jeans while Maleina was last seen wearing a light green shirt with a butterfly design and blue jeans. Police learned that the two sisters, who are both students of Kagman Elementary School, missed their 6:30am bus.

“The two girls do come to my house and stay on weekends. I would take them with me. They’re not strangers to my home,” said Palacios.

She said people who spread insensitive jokes and rumors have nothing better to do. “I hope they get caught and put in jail.”

“Maybe instead of starting rumors, if you got nothing better to do, just volunteer in the search efforts. Help us find the girls,” she added.

Palacios disclosed that SMG, which airs Power 99, The Kat 97.9, and ABC 7 Saipan, has offered a $1,000 monetary reward for any information leading to the recovery of the Luhk sisters.

SMG’s reward is in addition to the $1,000 being offered by Crime Stoppers, another $1,000 from IT&E, and the substantial $10,000 offer by the FBI.

“We put out the reward the moment we knew that the girls were missing,” said Palacios.

According to her, people should help in the search efforts even without the reward but an “extra something” will drive people to try and look harder.

“It’s like when you lose something you love, you always put out a reward to get that something back,” she explained. “Unfortunately in this case, it’s two human beings who are missing.”

Palacios commended local and federal law enforcers as well as community volunteers who are involved in the islandwide search operation that has been going on for two weeks.

“I’ve seen the hard work put in by the off-island and our own enforcement and even the volunteers. They’re out there and they’re not giving up. It’s so awesome. The support that they have given the family is just phenomenal,” she said.

According to Palacios, these law enforcers and volunteers have their own families or have work to do but they’re taking time off to help them find the two girls. “They’re very determined to find those two girls.”

Although the family is aware that the chances of finding a missing person after 48 hours are slim, Palacios said they remain optimistic. Each time her phone rings, she always hopes that it’s any of the two girls who would tell her, “Auntie, come pick us up.”

“I want to believe that the girls are still alive and they’re coming back home soon. Everyone is being positive. We’re hoping for a beautiful reunion. We’re really praying for that,” said Palacios.

“If someone has them, I hope they’re taking care of them. If you know who has them, tell them they should return the girls.

“This is the first time that it’s happened to our island and I hope this is also going to be the last. No family should go through something like this.”

Palacios called on the community to call their radio stations at 235-7996 or 7999 if they have the information on the whereabouts of the missing girls.

“Again, personally and from my family, to the FBI, local enforcers, the volunteers, everybody that is helping out with the case, mas dangkulu na si yuus maase. I want them to know that we truly appreciate your support,” she said.