Construction magnate Reghis Romero II, who was kidnapped by the extremist Abu Sayyaf, paid $98,039 (P5 million) for his release.

Four witnesses told a Senate hearing this, yesterday, contradicting Romero's earlier claim that he, his girlfriend, Ma. Rhiza Santos, and an eight-year-old boy, R.J. Recio, had escaped from their abductors without paying any money.

A Senate committee on defence is investigating alleged collusion between the military and the Abu Sayyaf in the town of Lamitan, in Basilan province, on June 2, which led to the rebel group escaping from a hospital with its hostages, despite being encircled.

One of the witnesses, Noel Notario, said that at around 10am on June 1, he saw Romero, Santos and Recio walk out of Jose Torres Hospital escorted by an Abu Sayyaf member.

Notario, whose child was a patient at the hospital when the bandits struck, said he overheard one of the bandits say, in the vernacular, that the three hostages had been released because "ransom was paid, five million pesos".

Raul Enriquez, another witness, who was also trapped in the hospital, corroborated Notario's statement, saying some hostages already knew that Romero would be freed. He claimed he overheard Recio's parents requesting Romero to take their child with him because the boy was sick.

Another witness, Corazon Trota, testified that a woman hostage (Santos) who was hiding with Romero under one of the hospital beds near her husband's complained that although "three million pesos ($58,823) was already paid" they hadn't been released yet.

Trota said somebody from the Abu Sayyaf, whom she later identified as Abu Sabaya, asked her where Romero and his lady friend were. She said she overheard Sabaya telling Romero it was time for him to come out.

"Reghis, Rhegis come out. Tell them you escaped, and bring the child (R.J. Recio) with you," Trota quoted Sabaya as saying.

It was Father Cirilo Nacorda, a Catholic priest, who revealed the alleged military-Abu Sayyaf collusion, and presented the witnesses at the Senate hearing.

A Lamitan resident testified yesterday that she heard government soldiers calling out to each other to pull out for a briefing during the height of the Abu Sayyaf siege on the hospital.
Salvina Pontillas said the 'pull-out' occurred a few minutes before she saw Romero walking free from the hospital.

Pontillas told the hearing that Romero did not escape but was released by Sabaya. Two other witnesses said, later, that Romero, together with two other hostages, walked away from the hospital grounds and "did not run".