AFP verifies reports on Sinnott's death

MANILA, Philippines - Military intelligence operatives were deployed to verify reports that kidnapped Irish priest Michael Sinnott is already dead.

This developed as the Zamboanga del Sur provincial crisis management team negotiating for the safe release of Sinnott denied yesterday reports that the Irish priest had died in the custody of his captors.

“While we have been verifying his condition, there is no such information that was gathered both by the provincial crisis management committee and the military intelligence,” said Ala Molde, the designated spokesman of the provincial crisis committee and Task Force Zebra, the joint body searching for the priest.

Molde though confirmed there had been reports alleging that the 79-year-old priest failed to survive the ordeal in the jungle.

Molde noted the precarious medical condition of Sinnott, who had been recuperating from open-heart surgery when unidentified men snatched him from his home at the Missionary Society of Saint Columban compound in Pagadian City on Oct. 11.

According to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, intelligence operatives are trying to check a range of information from the ground units on the real condition of Sinnott.

“Our fighting units are on standby, awaiting instructions from the local crisis management committee, but our intelligence units are already out to verify his real condition,” Brawner said.

Molde, for his part, said it was “irresponsible” to circulate reports that the priest was already dead and there was nothing more to negotiate.

“We are verifying information we gathered. We don’t want to take chances, specially since the health condition of Fr. Sinnott is a little bit delicate because he recently underwent heart bypass operation,” Molde said.