1,000 troops deployed to hunt Sinnott abductors
11/17/2009 | 10:41 PM
The military has deployed almost a thousand of its troops to pursue the group behind the abduction of Irish priest Michael Sinnott last month.
Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the Army’s 104th Brigade based in Iligan City, said he has dedicated a battalion, composed of around 500 officers and men, to support the operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
De Leon said his brigade’s deployment has “corresponding force" from the Marawi City-based 103rd Brigade.
The troops have been zeroing in on the boundaries of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur since Monday, or five days after the 79-year-old Sinnott was freed by his abductors.
De Leon said Army personnel would back up police forces in serving the warrants of arrest against the suspects.
“We go to their (suspects) harbor areas and serve the warrant of arrest. They (PNP) need a strong force or they need the Army to back them up because in this side of Mindanao, you have to show strong force to enforce the law," he said.
Sinnott was snatched by a group of armed men in his house in Pagadian City last Oct. 11 and later brought to the boundary of the Lanao provinces.
De Leon said initial information indicated that the suspects are “rogue" members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but noted that the secessionist organization has denied that some of their members were involved in the kidnapping.
“I was made to understand there are certain renegade groups from the MILF [involved], but the MILF is denying it so these might be outlaws operating in the area," he said.
Sinnott himself denied that it was the MILF that abducted him.
De Leon said the ongoing operation had been already coordinated with the MILF through the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities.
The military and the MILF have been observing a ceasefire since July in preparation for the resumption of the long-stalled peace negotiations. - GMANews.TV
Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the Army’s 104th Brigade based in Iligan City, said he has dedicated a battalion, composed of around 500 officers and men, to support the operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
De Leon said his brigade’s deployment has “corresponding force" from the Marawi City-based 103rd Brigade.
The troops have been zeroing in on the boundaries of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur since Monday, or five days after the 79-year-old Sinnott was freed by his abductors.
De Leon said Army personnel would back up police forces in serving the warrants of arrest against the suspects.
“We go to their (suspects) harbor areas and serve the warrant of arrest. They (PNP) need a strong force or they need the Army to back them up because in this side of Mindanao, you have to show strong force to enforce the law," he said.
Sinnott was snatched by a group of armed men in his house in Pagadian City last Oct. 11 and later brought to the boundary of the Lanao provinces.
De Leon said initial information indicated that the suspects are “rogue" members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but noted that the secessionist organization has denied that some of their members were involved in the kidnapping.
“I was made to understand there are certain renegade groups from the MILF [involved], but the MILF is denying it so these might be outlaws operating in the area," he said.
Sinnott himself denied that it was the MILF that abducted him.
De Leon said the ongoing operation had been already coordinated with the MILF through the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities.
The military and the MILF have been observing a ceasefire since July in preparation for the resumption of the long-stalled peace negotiations. - GMANews.TV
