Manila, Philippines, Nov 12, 2009 / 10:56 am
After being held hostage for just over a month, Irish missionary priest Fr. Michael Sinnott was freed on Nov 12. Despite a serious preexisting heart condition, Fr. Sinnott was reported to be in good health.
On Oct. 11, Fr. Sinnott was taken at gunpoint by six men who stormed his home in Pagadian City on the island of Midano. According to Reuters, witnesses said the elderly priest was bundled into a van and later dragged into a boat.
Combined efforts from the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities for the Government of the Philippines and the Moro-Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) helped negotiate Fr. Sinnott's release.
The MILF has not disclosed where they found Fr. Sinnott or any details about the kidnappers.