FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, April 20, 2007

Peace Corps Director Returns from the Philippines.

Peace Corps Continues to Mourn the Loss of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 20, 2007 - U.S. Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter returned last evening from the Philippines where he met with officials, including President of Philippines Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, concerning the investigation of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell.

Search parties discovered Ms. Campbells body near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 18. Ms. Campbell disappeared on April 8 while hiking in Banaue, Ifugao Province, Northern Luzon. Her body has been flown to Manila where an autopsy will be performed by Philippine authorities in cooperation with specialists from the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Officials are also continuing to investigate the discovery site.

Director Tschetter, along with the entire Peace Corps family, continues to mourn the loss of Volunteer Julia Campbell. He said, Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served, he said. The U.S. Peace Corps is saddened by the loss of such a dedicated and vibrant Volunteer, who so loved this country. Our hearts go out to her family and friends in the United States.

Ms. Campbell was reported missing on April 11 after failing to show up for several appointments. She was last seen on Sunday, April 8 in the Banaue area. She reportedly intended to hike in a hilly area near Batad, 1.5 kilometers east of Banaue town, and was unaccompanied.

Ms. Campbell served in ecological and educational projects in Southern Luzon since she began her Peace Corps service in the Philippines in March 2005.

There are 136 Peace Corps Volunteers serving in the country. More than 8,000 Volunteers have served in the Philippines since 1961, making it the second oldest Peace Corps program in the world.

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