Sinnott vows to remain in Philippines

A kidnapped Irish priest freed after more than a month in captivity in the Philippines today vowed to remain in the Asian islands and continue his work.

Fr Michael Sinnott is resting at the Columban missionaries’ compound in the capital Manila after his 32-day ordeal, which ended after he was handed over to police and government officials.

The 79-year-old cleric, who suffers from a serious heart problem, said his captors treated him well and he remained in good health despite the primitive conditions.

“I hope to stay on here in the Philippines and go back to doing my work.

“I don’t know what my superiors are going to say about that, but that is my own wish,” Fr Sinnott said.

The Co Wexford cleric said he had no desire to leave and believed he would not be targeted by kidnappers again.

“If they wanted to kidnap somebody, they’d be inclined to go for a much younger man because I was not able to always hike with the speed and keep going,” he said.

“I often had to rest while they were hiking.”

Fr Sinnott, who runs a school for children with hearing and learning difficulties, was snatched by six gunmen from his gated house in Pagadian City, on the southern island of Mindanao on October 11.

After being taken away by speedboat he was initially held outdoors in a cramped swamped area, sleeping rough in a hammock.

But he was moved after 10 days to a more open space in the jungle where he said he was well looked after and able to wash in clean water.

“They treated me very well,” he said.

“The night I was kidnapped they were quite rough in getting me into a small pick-up truck and throwing me into the back of it and getting me out of it and into a boat.

“But after that they couldn’t have done more to make it easier for me in the conditions in which we were living.”

It is believed a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines – was behind the kidnapping.

Officials from the organisation helped Irish diplomats and Philippine negotiators secure the release.

During the abduction there were fears over Fr Sinnott’s health because he did not have vital heart medication, but the cleric said his captors eventually provided him with supplies.

“For 10 days I had no drugs. Then they asked me to prioritise the drugs I needed and I got those after 10 days,” the elderly priest said.

“I was in perfect health all through the 31 days. Although we often slept in wet clothes, I never had a cold or any sort of complaint whatsoever.”

Fr Sinnott said he was kidnapped by a gang in Pagadian City who assured him he would not be hurt, before handing him over to another group who interrogated him about his finances.

Video footage of the priest appealing for €2m ransom was released on October 31.

However, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said that, like the release of kidnapped aid worker Sharon Commins in Sudan last month, no money was paid.

He said the money would have been used to buy weapons.

“The release of Fr Michael represents the successful conclusion of a major diplomatic effort by the Irish and Philippine Governments,” he said.

“As in previous kidnaps, no ransom was paid by the Irish Government.

“To do so would only have jeopardised the vital work of aid workers and missionaries around the world – it would also place other Irish citizens in danger.”

Irish President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Mr Martin all led tributes to Fr Sinnott upon his release.

“He is clearly a man of great resilience, strength and courage and we wish him well as he seeks to recover from such a trying ordeal,” said the President.

Mr Cowen said everyone’s prayers had been answered.

“Government officials will be liaising with Fr Michael and offering any assistance we can, in bringing about a speedy reunion with his family and friends,” said the Taoiseach.

Father Pat O’Donoghue, regional director of the Columban Fathers in the Asian islands, said he was grateful, joyful and thankful for his peaceful release.

The cleric spoke with the elderly priest after he was freed.

“In typical Mick form, he apologised for causing all the fuss,” Fr O’Donoghue said.

The abduction was the second high-profile kidnapping handled by Irish authorities in recent weeks.

Irish aid worker Ms Commins and her Ugandan colleague Hilda Kawuki were freed last month after 107 days in captivity in war-torn Sudan.

Fr Sinnott was the third Irish priest to be kidnapped in the area.

In 1997, Fr Des Hartford was held by Islamic militants for 12 days and in 2001 a priest from Waterford, Fr Rufus Hally, was shot dead during an attempted abduction.