A young hostage has revealed that he and his companions were shown the way out by Abu Sayyaf members during a fake shoot-out with military men in Basilan, southern Philippines, on June 2, 2001.

Juan "RJ" Recio, 8, said the Abu Sayyaf members who brought them to Lamitan showed them the way out of the Jose Torres Memorial Hospital where they were brought after they managed to escape from the Philippine Navy that pursued them from Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan, south-western Philippines, where the abduction occurred on May 27.

As they were going out, Recio said he overheard one bandit telling others that the three hostages had been paid for.

However, Recio, 8, did not say that he, businessman Reghis Romero and his girlfriend, Rissa Santos Rodriguez, had paid $ 58,823 (P3 million), for their release in Lamitan, Basilan, on June 2.

Other sources said Romero doled out $ 500,000 (P 25 million) for the release. "RJ's story rings with the sound of truth," said the Inquirer in its editorial. The same sentiment was expressed by witnesses from Basilan, sources said.

A source said Recio's family – father Raul de Guzman Recio, a travel writer, and mother, Divine Montealegre – said at an executive session of the senate committee on defence and human rights that they had paid $4,000 (P 250,000).

The source could not say if the Recio family had revealed how the ransom payment was made and whether the military men took part in the payment. With the young Recio's testimony, the mystery of the Abu Sayyaf escape has become less baffling. What followed was a "coordinated exit" for the bandits, despite the presence of pursuing military men.

Army Scout Ranger, Capt. Ruben Guinolby, head of the reinforcing team in Lamitan, said in the same senate hearing earlier that his men were ordered to pull out of position for a briefing as they were about to surround the back of the hospital.

Capt. Guinolby's men came from northern Luzon and were transported to Zamboanga City for the reinforcement. But they were not given guns. Those who received guns were surprised that these did not have firing pins and ammunition.

Many of his men were wounded in the confrontation, he said in the hearing. Observers said the escape of the Abu Sayyaf members and their hostages occurred at a time when the commanders called for a briefing.

The young Recio's testimony was the opposite of Romero's story, who said he had escaped from the hostage takers during a confusing moment. The story was also different from the military's version of the incident.

Like Recio, nurse Fe de la Cruz (of the Torres Hospital) earlier said in a senate hearing that she saw the aide of Maj. Gen. Romeo Dominguez (then head of the contingent tasked to run after the hostage-takers), "open an attaché case stacked with $19.60 (P 1,000) bills".