Inquirer: Burnham story stirs row -did she or did she not

July 29 Now What, Ca t?

Blogtitle: Gracia Burnham-Did she or did she not?

August 1 newsbreaker-Inquirer.

Updated 11:43pm (Mla time) July 31, 2004

By Alcuin Papa, Philip Tubeza

Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the August 1, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

WHEN Gracia Burnham flew back to the United States on Friday night, she left behind a country she said she had come to love. She also left a controversy behind.

Did she or did she not

clear the Philippine military of charges of conniving with the Abu Sayyaf Group when she testified in court against the bandit group?

Read the entire story from inquirer.

If you have read the news, it is very clear that Gracia was prevented from saying anything or she said something but it was stricken off the record and a statement purported to be hers was published in the media. This is not the first time that Gracia was upset by the discrepancy between what she said and what came out in the media. Page 288 of her book narrates that she asked for the correction of the media account about the death of his husband.

To quote her:

"The one that really upset me originated with the Associated Press and waspicked up by the Time Magazine.They quoted me as saying of Martin's death: That is God's liking. That is probably his destiny. I would never day such a thing.In fact, this sounds more like an Abu Sayyaf comment than anything else. I wrote Time to protest the blatant misquote and got back a letter passing the buck to AP. The magazine refused to run a correction."

Knowing Gracia as a brave woman who survived the year' ordeal with the terrorist group, I am positive that she said nothing about the clearance of the military involved in the hostage taking if she believed there really was.

Sabi ko nga may usok, may niluluto.

The Ca t