Pichay: There was no collusion

The chairman of the House committee on defense said yesterday he stands by his report that there is no evidence of collusion between the military and the Abu Sayyaf relating to the Lamitan incident in June 2001.

Rep. Prospero Pichay (Lakas, Surigao del Sur) however said he is willing to reopen the probe if the book of former Abu Sayyaf hostage Gracia Burnham –In the Presence of My Enemies –shows compelling evidence of connivance between the military and the terrorist group.

"We are very much aware that Mrs. Burnham suffered a grievous loss in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf, and we will evaluate her account to see if she has any new and compelling evidence that we can make use of to shed further light on the Lamitan incident," he said.

The Abu Sayyaf had been holed out with the Burnhams and other hostages in a hospital compound in the Basilan town in early June 2001, just days after the captives were taken from a resort in Palawan. But the bandits escaped, and three local hostages dashed to freedom, triggering speculations of a payoff.

Pichay said he will study the revelations put forth by Burnham in her book, and if there is compelling evidence to the alleged collusion, then he would not hesitate to call for the immediate reopening of the investigation, subject to inputs from committee members and in accordance with House rules.

But Pichay pointed out the committee report finding no evidence of military collusion with the Abu Sayyaf was a result of over a year of committee work, including sifting through voluminous documents and hearing testimonies from the military, former hostages, local government officials, and even media.

Without prejudice to the Burnham account, Pichay said the American’s viewpoint was necessarily restricted since she was held captive by the Abu Sayyaf.