MAJOR concerns remain about the wellbeing of Fr Michael Sinnott despite the release of a video by his kidnappers in the Philippines at the weekend, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin.The footage of the 79-year-old holding a newspaper from the previous Saturday was the first confirmation that he remains alive and that he is in relatively good health.
The Wexford native was taken from the centre where he worked with the Columban missionaries in Pagadian City on October 11.
Mr Martin said there was no question of the $2 million (€1.35m) ransom sought by the kidnappers being paid, after the demand was revealed by Fr Sinnott in the video.
"We’re very clear that the government there are giving this priority, they have established a task force down in the location involving army, police and the Church as well, to oversee the operation to try and rescue Fr Sinnott," he said.
In the statement he read to the video, the kidnapped priest said he had some of the medications he needs for his heart complaint, and that the group holding him is led by a Commander Abu Jayad. It had initially been thought he was captured by a group known as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but that is known not to be the case.
"It seems that it’s a group that’s not under the control of MILF, a breakaway group or independent group, but at the moment the efforts are around trying to develop contacts and influence over them that would result in them releasing Fr Sinnott, given his age, his frailty and his medical condition," Mr Martin said.
Along with the efforts of Irish ambassador Richard O’Brien, Sinn Féin Assembly member Gerry Kelly and Tony Blair’s former chief of staff Jonathan Powell have been trying to help secure his return.
"We know that MILF were in Belfast some time ago and that over a year ago Gerry Kelly went down there, so they’d have some contacts with the MILF and we did contact them to see if they could utilise any of those. But to my knowledge, the main thrust of the operation is with the task force that has been established in the region, who are leading the efforts," said Mr Martin.
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