Philippines: No Ransom For Kidnapped Irish Priest

Philippine Government, Fellow Missionaries Reject Ransom For Kidnapped Irish Priest

(AP)  MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippine government rejected a $2 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers of an ailing Irish priest in the country's volatile south and said Sunday that efforts would continue to safely secure his freedom.

The kidnappers of the Rev. Michael Sinnott have released a video in which the 79-year-old missionary says his captors are demanding $2 million in exchange for his freedom. The video, broadcast Saturday on GMA TV network, sparked hope among his fellow Columban missionaries after rumors circulated that he had died while in jungle captivity.

The video, which was reportedly obtained by government negotiators, shows Sinnott holding a copy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer dated Oct. 22 - 11 days after about six gunmen snatched him as he was strolling in the garden of his residence in southern Pagadian city.

Sinnott appeals in a weak voice to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Irish government, his fellow missionaries and friends "who may have pity ... to help so that I can get out of here as soon as possible."

Arroyo's spokesman, Cerge Remonde, said the government would "stick to the international policy of paying no ransom," adding that everything was being done to ensure Sinnott's safe release.

In Ireland, Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said he was aware of the video. In a statement posted on the ministry's Web site Saturday, he said he spoke to Sinnott's family members, who were "very relieved" to know there was evidence the priest is alive.

Martin did not comment on the ransom demand, saying "no effort will be spared" to have the priest freed.

The Rev. Patrick O' Donoghue, who heads Columban priests in the Philippines, said he had seen the video and was relieved to know that Sinnott was alive and had received medication for a heart ailment, but added that ransom should not be paid.

He reiterated a call to people with access to the kidnappers to convince them to free Sinnott "without further delay."

A friend and fellow Irish priest, the Rev. Damien McKenna, said his group, the Missionary Society of St. Columban, had not had any contact with the kidnappers and did not know how medicines were able to reach Sinnott, who has had heart bypass surgery.

McKenna said the abduction would not cow him and other Columban missionaries into abandoning impoverished southern communities where they have worked for decades.

"They're after the money and they know where to get us," McKenna told The Associated Press by telephone from Pagadian. "That's the world where we live and continue to live in."

Sinnott's abduction is the latest hostage crisis to grip the predominantly Roman Catholic nation, where Muslim militants waging a decades-old separatist rebellion have been blamed for high-profile kidnappings, including of foreign priests and aid workers.

It remains unclear who is holding Sinnott, but some military officials have speculated that members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has been holding on-and-off peace talks with the government, may have played a role in the abduction.

The rebels have denied any involvement and have promised to help free Sinnott.