Efforts to free kidnapped Irish priest

The Philippines has rushed hundreds of troops to seal off an area in the southern region of Mindanao where gunmen are holding Irish priest Michael Sinnott captive, a marine general said today.

The military has also asked for help from the country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), to free 78-year-old missionary Michael Sinnott, said Major-General Ben Dolorfino, Western Mindanao commander.

The development came as Labour Party President Michael D Higgins called for the safe release of Fr Michael Sinnott.

Deputy Higgins said: "I raise this matter in order to send messages, both abroad and at home. One message is to the Columban community and Fr Sinnott’s family to the effect that we are in solidarity with them. The other message is to those who are encountering Fr Sinnott’s work abroad."

"Anything visited upon him is visited upon everyone in Ireland. For this reason, our Parliament wants to send a message: that we want him released and to have immediate access to the medical support that he requires."

Bishop Colm O’Reilly, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois and Chair of the Bishops’ Commission for the Missions called for Father Sinnott's release.

"As a Columban priest, Father Sinnott dedicated his pastoral work to supporting the most vulnerable and I plead with those who have influence to expedite the release of this true servant of the people," he said.

Father Sinnott, a Columban priest, was taken at gunpoint by six men who stormed his home in Pagadian City on Sunday. Witnesses said the priest was bundled into a van and later dragged to a boat.

"We're trying to seal off the area where the priest was last seen over the last 24 hours," Dolorfino said, adding troops were trying to prevent the kidnappers from moving the priest to another location.

Dolorfino said Sinnott was abducted by a kidnap-for-ransom group that was not aligned to the MILF.

"We have a complicated situation on the ground. These areas are heavily infected by the MILF and we don't want to start any fight. So, we informed the MILF about the kidnapping and asked them to help free the hostage."

Mohaqher Iqbal, a senior MILF leader and head of the rebels' peace negotiating panel, said he had mobilised his forces to pinpoint the exact location of the priest.

"We're ready to help the government recover the priest," Iqbal told Reuters