‘I wish I did not commit the crime’

LAGAWE, Ifugao. — Six months in jail has given Juan Duntugan a lot to think about.

The prime suspect in the Julia Campbell murder case, Duntungan has admitted to the killing of the US Peace Corps volunteer and says he is sorry for the crime.

In his jail cell in Tiger Hill, Kiangan, Duntungan said, "There is only one thing I want to delete in my life, and that is killing Julia Campbell."

Campbell, 40, was reported missing last April 8 in Banaue and was found dead 10 days later near Duntugan’s home.

After another 10 days, Duntugan surrendered to authorities. He told police he had mistaken Campbell for somebody else when he killed her in a fit of rage.

Duntungan said he repents what he has done. "I really regret what happened and as I sit down here every hearing, I wish this thing did not happen to me. I wish I did not commit the crime," he said.

"I appeal to the family of Julia to be considerate and to forgive me," he added.

With three children aged 7, 5 and 3, and a fourth due to be born in November this year, Duntugan said he misses his family.

In this fifth hearing of the case, his wife and other close relatives were not present in the courtroom.

Sitting alone on the bench for the accused, Duntugan said the only thing he is hopeful about is for the charge against him to be downgraded from murder to homicide "since I admitted from the very beginning I committed the crime."

The prosecution, however, has already rejected Duntugan’s earlier offer of a plea bargain to reduce the charge against him. The offer, if it had been accepted, would have given him a 20-year jail term instead of life imprisonment.