Hundreds of Philippine police join search for abducted Irish priest

Europe News

Nov 4, 2009, 7:40 GMT

Pagadian City, Philippines - Hundreds of additional police forces were deployed in the southern Philippines to join the search for a kidnapped Irish Catholic priest, a police task force commander said Wednesday. About 300 police officers were deployed in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, where Columban missionary Michael Sinnott was believed to be held by his kidnappers, Senior Superintendent Francisco Cristobal said. Cristobal said the additional forces would lead law enforcement operations against the kidnappers, who have demanded 2 million dollars for the hostage's freedom. Sinnott, 79, was seized by unidentified gunmen on October 11 inside the Columban Mission House in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province, 890 kilometres south of Manila. Last week, the kidnappers released a video of Sinnott to prove he was still alive. In the video, Sinnott, who underwent a quadruple heart bypass in 2005, appealed to the Philippine and Irish governments to secure his immediate release. Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno pointed to a commander of the Muslim secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as the one behind the kidnapping. But the MILF, which has been engaged in peace negotiations with the government since 1997, denied the accusation. Sinnott was first assigned to the southern region of Mindanao in 1957 but left the country in 1966. He returned in 1976 and in 1998 established a school in Pagadian City.

Your Talkback on this Story

Older Talkback

Latest Headlines in Europe

News from Other Sites

Phishing: Verified by Visa scam targets holiday shoppers

- The Tech Herald

Writer Hired For Underworld 4
Brad Pitt Producing Dark Void Video Game Adaptation

- Cinema Blend

Europe

Hundreds of Philippine police join search for abducted Irish priest

Europe News

Your Talkback on this Story

Older Talkback

Similar articles

Latest Headlines in Europe

News from Other Sites

From Sites We Like

Latest Tech Herald News

Latest Cinema Blend News

In Monsters and Critics

Corporate

The Fine Print