Kidnapped Irish priest Fr. Michael Sinnott
As if the twin typhoons are not enough to damage the country, here comes another one: another foreigner has been kidnapped by the dreaded terror squad, the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Catholic priest Fr. Michael Sinnott, 79 years old, was snatched by seven heavily armed men, believed to be ASG members at the Columbian House in Gatas district in Pagadian City. Father Siunott was walking in his private garden inside the compound around 7:30 in the evening when the armed men snatched him and put him at the back of an old mini-van.
The armed men, along with their victim, sped onboard a mini-van. The van was burned by the suspects when they reached Sta. Lucia village and reports say, the group boarded a boat. The last time that the victim and the suspects were seen was at Barangay Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur.
Fears about the safety of the priest grew when Fr. Donahue of the Columbian order of Missionaries in the Philippines revealed that Fr. Sinnott had a heart bypass a few years ago. Sinnott is reportedly still healthy but probably will not be able to survive the harsh conditions of the Mindanao jungles.
Father Sinnott has been serving as a missionary in the Philippines since 1976. No ransom has been communicated. Authorities are on top of the situation.
October 12th, 2009 @ Ricky Rivera
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