Still no contact from Sinnott abductors
AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV
11/02/2009 | 04:43 PM
The body handling the abduction case of Irish priest Michael Sinnott on Monday urged the kidnappers to contact and negotiate with them.
“My point is we have to establish contact first before we proceed. There should be a negotiation first," said June Allan Molde, spokesperson for the crisis management committee (CMC) working for the release of the 79-year-old priest.
A video of Sinnott, abducted last October 11 in Zamboanga del Sur, was aired on GMA-7 television Saturday. In it, the victim identified the leader of the group that abducted him as Kumander Abu Jayad, who he said is asking for a $2-million ransom.
The military however could not verify the identity of the suspect.
“The intelligence checked the existence of this name but we found out that it is nonexistent. So now we know for a fact that this is just a pseudonym or a codename," said Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, public information office chief of the Armed Forces.
Molde said the committee, headed by Zamboanga del Sur Governor Aurora Cerilles, will not give in to the ransom demand in accordance with the national government’s no-ransom policy.
“As far as the CMC is concerned, we adhere to the no ransom policy," said Molde.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. last week said Sinnott is being held by rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Brawner said the video that the military intelligence obtained provided several "clues" on the whereabouts of Sinnott.
“The upper part of the video showed that there was vegetation. We could use this to confirm the general area where Father Sinnott is because we know where this vegetation is grown," he said.
The military believes Sinnott is being held in the forested boundaries of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte provinces.- GMANews.TV
“My point is we have to establish contact first before we proceed. There should be a negotiation first," said June Allan Molde, spokesperson for the crisis management committee (CMC) working for the release of the 79-year-old priest.
A video of Sinnott, abducted last October 11 in Zamboanga del Sur, was aired on GMA-7 television Saturday. In it, the victim identified the leader of the group that abducted him as Kumander Abu Jayad, who he said is asking for a $2-million ransom.
The military however could not verify the identity of the suspect.
“The intelligence checked the existence of this name but we found out that it is nonexistent. So now we know for a fact that this is just a pseudonym or a codename," said Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, public information office chief of the Armed Forces.
Molde said the committee, headed by Zamboanga del Sur Governor Aurora Cerilles, will not give in to the ransom demand in accordance with the national government’s no-ransom policy.
“As far as the CMC is concerned, we adhere to the no ransom policy," said Molde.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. last week said Sinnott is being held by rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Brawner said the video that the military intelligence obtained provided several "clues" on the whereabouts of Sinnott.
“The upper part of the video showed that there was vegetation. We could use this to confirm the general area where Father Sinnott is because we know where this vegetation is grown," he said.
The military believes Sinnott is being held in the forested boundaries of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte provinces.- GMANews.TV
