House, Senate to reopen AFP-Sayyaf collusion probe

The committees on defense of the House and the Senate have decided to reopen their investigations into the alleged collusion between the military and the Abu Sayyaf group of bandits.

Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. (Lakas, Surigao del Sur), who heads the House defense committee, told reporters yesterday that he and his Senate counterpart, Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., have agreed to conduct a joint hearing on March 7.

The two panels had begun separate inquiries into the alleged collusion between the military and the Abu Sayyaf that allowed the group of Abu Sabaya to escape a dragnet of government troops in Lamitan, Basilan on June 2, 2001.

They were also looking into reports that many of the hostages taken by the bandits at the high-end Dos Palmas resort in Palawan in May paid millions of pesos in ransom for their release.

During the Lamitan siege, wealthy contractor Reghis Romero, his girlfriend Rizha Rodriguez and young RJ Recio reportedly took advantage of a lull in fighting and dashed to freedom.

Pichay said the two defense committees will subpoena an extended videotape of the Lamitan siege and how the three hostages walked to the government side from the Torres Memorial Hospital that Sabaya and his followers had occupied.

He said the tape had been acquired from undisclosed sources by television giant ABS-CBN.

During its hearing last Aug. 29, the Pichay panel viewed a short version of the tape brought by Romero who said one of his sons gave it to him but that he did not know where it came from.

It was Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri (Lakas, Bukidnon), a committee member, who volunteered the information that the videotape was taken by a certain Sgt. Ablao, a military cameraman "who was at the right place at the right time."

Zubiri had observed after seeing the video material that "everything seemed normal" in Lamitan when Romero, his female companion and Recio dashed to the government side.

"There was no fighting, no shots were heard and soldiers were milling around with their guns slung on their shoulders," he said.

Romero told the Pichay committee during the hearing that he paid no ransom but panel members did not buy his story.

Pichay said they will also invite the Recios and Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, who has claimed that the wealthy contractor indeed paid ransom.

Osmeña said a Palace official arranged the ransom payment.

The House defense committee had already prepared a report on the results on its inquiry. Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo (Lakas, Valenzuela), committee vice chairman, headed a team that wrote the report.

In its unreleased report, the panel did not believe Romero’s claim that he did not pay ransom.

It also found evidence of collusion between low - and middle-level military officers and the Abu Sayyaf.