OZAMIZ City - Catholic - run radio dxDD AM received reports from its reliable informants that Irish missionary Fr. Michael Sinnott, SSC is still alive, healthy and now in a remote area in the hinterlands of Sapad, Lanao del Norte.
The two informants met with DxDD public affairs personnel Tuesday morning, October 27 and shared information about Fr. Mick.
The two informants’ identities have been withheld for security reasons. The meeting between the informants and dxDD personnel took place in Aurora, Zambonga del Sur.
They furnished the mediamen a sketch where Fr. Mick is said to be held captive in Sapad.
The abductors are reportedly members of a kidnap-for-ransom group led by local pirate Latip Jamat alias Commander Latip who operates mainly in Lanao area.
But they cannot confirm the reports that kidnap-for-ransom group led by local pirate Guingona Samal alias Kumander Ingo who operates mainly in Zamboanga del Sur is part of the operation.
It was reported that Samal was initially tagged as the owner of the watercraft used in transporting the 79-year-old Columban missionary from Pagadian City to Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte.
But they said the Irish priest was turned over by his abductors to the group of Commander Latip Jamat and one Dr. Abu, a Abusayaf commander.
“The bandits arrived in Sitio Bilik around 7:00 P.M. on October 18 and they passed in the remote areas of Sitio Simsiman, Sitio Matito and arrived in Sitio Mhatar around 11:40 pm where they fired one round as signal.”
The informants added that on the same date, Fr. Sinnott’s abductors arrived at the location of Dr. Abu located in the mountain area of Sapad near in Sitio Rombanon, Bulandosa and Tuka Alaw.
Informants added that the possible exits of the bandits for their escape are in the remote areas of Sitio Bulandosa, Tuka Alaw, Katipunan, Sitio Rombanon and Sitio Camangas.
They mentioned that the bandits received medicines for the abducted priest from the crisis committee last Wednesday, October 21.
The informants said the Irish priest is healthy because his abductors provided him a paramedic to regularly check his blood pressure.
On the other hand, Lanao del Norte’s provincial information officer Lyndon Calica said that he is doubtful of the information given by the informants.
He added that the sitios in Sapad being mentioned by the informants are non-existing.
Meanwhile, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has created its own special task force to track down Fr. Sinnott’s abductors.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said “Task Force Sinnott” was created last Tuesday upon instruction of their central committee.
Kabalu said “except for coordination” with the government forces, the MILF operates on their own.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines has no involvement in our operations,” Kabalu said.
He added that the MILF leadership “doesn’t entertain demands from the kidnappers.”
So far, he said, no contacts between the MILF and the kidnappers have been established “but we have the information on the area and they may be located.”
He also said that they have no information yet about Fr. Sinnott’s health conditions but he believes the 79-year old priest is alive and well.
Kabalu said about a hundred MILF troops have been made part of the task force. ( Neptalie Batolenio)
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