August 16, 2002, Star, Senate panel finds proof of AFP-Sayyaf collusion in Basilan, by Efren Danao,

August 16, 2002, Star, Senate panel finds proof of AFP-Sayyaf collusion in Basilan, by Efren Danao,

A draft report of the Senate committee on national defense has found "strong substantial evidence" to support allegations of collusion between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Abu Sayyaf in the hostage crisis in Basilan. 

The draft committee report recommended the court martial of Maj. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, Col. Juvenal Narcise and a Maj. Eliseo Campued for "misbehavior before the enemy, and conduct unbecoming of officers and gentlemen." 

A draft report becomes official only after it has been signed by majority of the committee members. 

The committee, headed by Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., came to these conclusions after conducting four public hearings, three executive sessions during which more than 50 witnesses testified, and two ocular inspections, plus a voluminous record of more than 1,500 pages. 

"In the course of the hearings, strong circumstantial evidence to support the allegation of collusion have been concluded," the draft report said, as it urged the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman to continue the investigation on the charge of collusion of some national officials, local Basilan officials and members and officers of the AFP. 

The panel cited five circumstantial evidence to sustain its findings of collusion: 

1. There was a lull in firing when businessman Reghis Romero and company "escaped" from his Abu Sayyaf kidnappers late morning of June 2, 2001. 

2. Calling of a briefing in the middle of a siege. 

3. Entry in Lamitan, Basilan of Abu Sayyaf even if the area was on red alert and checkpoints were established. 

4. Denial by higher authorities of a request for reinforcement or deployment even if a pocket war was imminent and very real at that time. 

5. Absence of a true leader during the encounter. 

The committee said it could not understand why soldiers who had already surrounded the Abu Sayyaf rebels in a hospital in Lamitan, Basilan would suddenly be called to withdraw for a briefing unless that was meant to enable the Abu Sayyaf to break the military siege. 

During the hearing, Romero maintained that he escaped but other former hostages later told the same panel that they overheard Romero and some Abu Sayyaf members saying arrangements had already been concluded for Romero’s release. 

Among those interviewed were former hostages Buddy Recio, who admitted paying P1 million, Angie Montealegre and RJ Recio, 8. 

Also interviewed were 26 residents of Lamitan led by Fr. Cirilo Nacorda, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, then AFP chief of staff Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, Basilan Gov. Wahab Akbar, and former Abu Sayyaf members who testified during the executive session. 

The committee recommended the convening of a court martial to investigate and prosecute Dominguez, Narcise and Campued for misbehavior before the enemy and endangering the command because of carelessness and negligence, and conduct unbecoming of officers and gentlemen. 

It must be noted that the Commission on Appointments did not find anything in the Lamitan incident to reject the promotion of Dominguez to a two-star rank. 

Dominguez took the approval of his promotion as a refutation of charges that he was carrying an attache case filled with cash during the siege and that he was in collusion with the enemy. 

The panel also cautioned Reyes and Villanueva for committing operational lapses during the hostage crisis, saying these lapses could qualify as criminal negligence without the necessary full-blown investigation.