Danny Chan

Gracia Burnham with her children Jeff , Zach and Mindy ntm online

Philippine military officials collaborated with Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, a former hostage has implied in a new book. Gracia Burnham, who was held captive by Abu Sayyaf rebels for 377 days, alleges that rogue elements in the army unsuccessfully negotiated with the Abu Sayyaf for a 50 per cent share of the ransom.

In her recently published In the Presence of My Enemies, Ms Burnham alleges that Philippine soldiers brought the insurgents a package of peanut butter, crackers, soap and other supplies as a general negotiated for a percentage of the ransom. She further maintains that it was military gunfire that injured her and killed her husband Martin Burnham and Philippine nurse Ediborah Yap during a botched rescue attempt. The Burnhams were among 20 hostages taken by the Abu Sayyaf on May 27, 2001 at the Dos Palmas resort on Palawan island while celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary. Her 377-day odyssey ended on June 7, 2002 with the army rescue at a mountain forest. The Abu Sayyaf's international notoriety that began on Palawan saw 18 of their eventual 102 hostages executed.

In her book, Ms Burnham, an American missionary, also alleges the negotiations broke off after the kidnappers offered only a 20 per cent cut of the ransom. She further establishes a connection between Abu Sayyaf and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, recounting how the kidnappers instructed Martin Burnham to declare he was being detained by "the Osama bin Laden group" in a ransom message. Ms Burnham moreover disputes the terrorist organization's claims that they never received a $330,000 ransom for the Burnhams' release.

Ms Burnham's revelations mesh with other questionable incidents. The rebels transported the hostages from Palawan to Lamitan, where they were able to evade a military cordon, thereby arousing suspicions of military-backed assistance. Raul Recio, who with his wife, son and sister-in-law was abducted along with the Burnhams in Palawan, said he was heartened by Ms Burnham's revelations.

As early as the Lamitan incident, I knew that the Abu Sayyaf were in collusion with the military," Mr Recio commented. He said his suspicions were raised when he noted that the rebels regularly discovered caches of food and medicine along their jungle trails.

The medicines were government-issued, so who else could have put them there?" he asked. Cirilo Nacorda, a former Abu Sayyaf hostage who testified before the Senate on alleged military-guerrilla collusion, was also happy to have other victims corroborate his assertions.

It's good that I am not the one talking this time. Before, it was like I was a voice in the wilderness. One person talking is not strong in court. But with the revelations of Gracia Burnham, the case [will become] stronger," Mr Nacorda said, adding any maverick soldiers should be prosecuted.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo backed the military's version of events, stressing she had "unremitting confidence" in her armed forces' integrity. Ignacio Bunye, the presidential spokesperson, said Mrs Macapagal-Arroyo had "full trust and confidence in the armed forces."

Lieutenant General Rodolfo Garcia, an armed forces spokesperson, said Ms Burnham's assertions were preposterous because the military sustained heavy casualties and that it was "a shotgun allegation because she did not mention anyone."

I can't believe that. I can't believe that our officers can do it - especially a general - to be in collusion with the Abu Sayyaf for a cut in ransom money," Mr Garcia said. Roy Cimatu, a former armed forces chief of staff, said about 45 soldiers perished during clashes with the Abu Sayyaf.

It's really unfair to make those allegations considering the soldiers risked their lives and many lost their lives," he said. Lieutenant General Gregorio Camiling, who headed the Southern Command during the early weeks of the incident, said the captors might have deceived their hostages.

They were inside; their minds could easily be controlled by [the late Abu Sayyaf] spokesperson Abu Sabaya and the rebels, who could have fed them wrong information and acted out some drama," Mr Camiling remarked. "How can she say they were soldiers? She was misled."

Major General Roy Kyamko, the Southern Command chief, said he had yet to read Ms Burnham's account but said he would like to ask her what unit of the armed forces the alleged collusion occurred. Another ranking official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ms Burnham's only source of information were her Abu Sayyaf captors.

To generalize that the military is in collusion with that terrorist group is unbelievable," the official said. "We have lost lives in [going after these people]. Gracia Burnham is not in a position to give a balanced view of information."

Mr Garcia said the military's primary concern was the safety of the victims but acknowledged some hostages may have been inadvertently struck by gunfire.

We do accept that occasionally we can't prevent hostages or innocent bystanders [from being] caught in the crossfire," he said. "It may happen but we do our best to prevent it. That is the way we operate. In a general case, it may happen. There is always a possibility that such a case would happen."

A House committee on national defense headed by Prospero Pichay, the congressman for Surigao del Sur, concluded there was inconclusive evidence to show a link between the two. But his findings were categorically disputed; the Senate committees on national defense and on justice and human rights issued a report citing evidence of collusion and called for the court martial of three officers.


Copyright©2003 Danny Chan. About the author