Press Release
April 3, 2009

Lacaba is in good condition, undergoes trauma debriefing - Gordon

Independent Senator and Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Chairman Richard J. Gordon today assured that Mary Jean Lacaba, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) worker who had been released on Thursday night, is in good condition and will have to undergo stress debriefing.

Gordon, who had called on the nation to pray for the safe and immediate release of Lacaba and the two other abducted ICRC workers, said had been released safely and was very glad to see her family.

"Mary Jean is basically in good health. Binalik sa kanya lahat ng gamit niya. Dala niya yung bag, sapatos, pati yung pinagkakainan niya na gawa sa bao ng niyog, dinala niya para souvenir daw," he said.

"She was very pleased ng makita ang kanyang anak at ang kanyang asawa," he added.

Lacaba was released after 78 days in captivity by the Abu Sayyaf on Thursday. The two other ICRC workers - Swiss Andrea Notter and Italian Eugenio Vagni - were not released but still alive.

The three aid workers were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf near the Sulu provincial jail in Patikul, Sulu last Jan. 15 after coming from a humanitarian mission.

Gordon was elated by Lacaba's safe release but hopeful that the remaining two would also be freed soon. He added both Notter and Vagni were seen alive and that one of them was walking with a cane.

The PNRC chairman said Lacaba, who is with the ICRC and being attended by one of its doctors who had come all the way from Geneva, Switzerland, had been advised not to talk with anyone for at least eight hours and to undergo extensive trauma debriefing.

"Ang advise sa akin ng doctor, kailangan niya ng critical extensive debriefing because of her long captivity. There is a process na dadaanan niya, learning to make decisions all over again because of the sudden change in her life," he said.

Gordon said Lacaba may develop nightmares, sleeping problems, recurring thoughts, concentration problems, hypervigilance, distrust, anxiety, irritation, anger, feelings of guilt, vulnerability, tenseness, depression, amnesia, among others.

She may also be vulnerable to much talking and to intrusive images, sounds or smells.

The ICRC worker could also suffer from headaches, fatigue; could be feeling alienated, feeling detached or emotionally upset.

"There is a whole menu of things that could happen to a person who have been detained for an exceedingly long time as she had been. We have to give her time," Gordon said.

"She would have to address all these possible scenarios. I am not saying that she has them, but all I am saying is that these could happen and we want to make sure that she copes with them real fast," he added.

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