Church denies holding talks with Sinnott kidnappers

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines  – A Church official yesterday denied reports that they have succeeded in negotiating with the kidnappers of Fr. Michael Sinnott last Monday.

Fr. Gilbert Hingone, spokes-man of the Pagadian Diocese, told the provincial crisis management committee (CMC) negotiating the release of the kidnapped priest that he was misquoted in a radio interview claiming emissaries have succeeded in getting in touch with the kidnappers and expected a positive development in the next three days.

CMC spokesman Alan June Molde said Hingone denied before the committee that emissaries had been sent and were able to get in touch with the kidnappers last Monday.

“Fr. Hingone, acting as the spokesman of the archdiocese of Pagadian, said he was misquoted and denied saying that there is negotiation with the kidnappers,” Molde told reporters following a meeting with Hingone.

Hingone denied they had made contact with the kidnappers.

“How can there be a negotiation when there was no contact with the kidnappers,” Molde said.

CMC chairman Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Aurora Ceriles, on the other hand, allowed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to help in the rescue of Sinnott.

Molde said the acceptance of the CMC of the assistance offered by the MILF was contained in a resolution approved by the provincial board.

He said the resolution would be forwarded to the joint ceasefire committee to authorize the MILF to help the police and military locate Sinnott and his kidnappers.

Molde said Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino was also notified.

The MILF had created Task Force Sinnott and deployed a company size of its forces to locate the priest.

However, the MILF would be limited only to assisting the crisis management committee.

According to Molde, the MILF would help validate and provide information on the whereabouts of Sinnott and his abductors.

The MILF was also requested to help facilitate negotiation with the kidnappers, Molde added.

“The resolution also sought the MILF to help facilitate the delivery of medicine (to Sinnott),” he added.

However, poor telecommunications signal in the area where Sinnott is being held captive has been hampering efforts to negotiate with his kidnappers, police and military intelligence sources revealed.

Even the 300 guerrillas of the MILF helping to locate the priest in the jungle area straddling the boundaries of the Lanao provinces are having difficulty contacting their “spotters” tracking down the kidnappers of Sinnott.

“We cannot use two-way radios because they can possibly monitor our communications. There are very few spots there where we have mobile phone transmission signal,” an MILF commander said.

The MILF issued a statement saying Sinnott and his kidnappers are still holed up in the jungle area between the Lanao provinces.

“Our information is that he is being moved by his captors from one place to another every now and then,” said Ghad-zali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs.

Initial reports revealed Sinnott is in precarious medical condition.

The 79-year-old priest 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.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said rogue elements of the MILF are holding Sinnott.

“The exact group appears to be a rogue MILF group, these are from the (MILF’s) 113th Base Command, led by a sub-commander,” he said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner added the group led by a certain Latip are holding Sinnott after receiving the priest from Guingona Samal who led a group of pirates in snatching the priest two weeks ago.

Teodoro and Brawner, however, expressed reservations in allowing the MILF to help in the rescue of Sinnott.

“Right now, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is heavily into it, that’s a kidnapping case and we… are ready to provide whatever assistance in support of getting him alive, but of course we are concerned with his condition,” Teodoro said.

Brawner also expressed reservations against allowing the MILF to deploy an armed group to rescue Sinnott, maintaining it could do more harm than good.

Brawner said a rescue operation for Sinnott is not advisable at this time as it could pose more risks to the safety and life of the Irish priest because of his deteriorating health.

Brawner cited the risk of triggering a firefight that could aggravate the frail condition of the priest. – With John Unson, James Mananghaya