MANILA - Irish Columban priest Michael Sinnott said the group that held him for a month in Mindanao kidnapped him to get international attention, and is opposed to the ideology of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"They said that it was very important to get their message out to the international media. Their message was that they were the original Lumads of Mindanao...That everything was taken from them, their homes, their land, everything else, and they are going to fight and their children will fight, and their children's children will fight until Mindanao is [turned into] an Islamic state and the Constitution and the religions will be the Qur'an [Islam]," Sinnott said at a press conference held after his arrival at  Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Thursday.

The military plane that brought Sinnott from Zamboanga City touched down at the air base around 10:30 a.m.. The priest was welcomed by Mrs. Arroyo and several government officials.

Malacañang said in a statement released earlier that the military and the police will continue to pursue the Irish priest's kidnappers.

Sinnott said he believes that the group that kidnapped him is operating within Pagadian City, where he was kidnapped last October 11.

He said he was turned over by the group to a "lost command" who are "against the MILF for the reason that they condemned the kidnapping because it was against the Qur'an."

Before the press conference started, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino of the armed forces' Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) was heard telling the Irish priest to avoid revealing names to the media.

The Irish priest, however, named a certain "Kikay" as one of the kidnappers in an earlier press conference held at the Wesmincom's headquarters at Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City.

Organized

Sinnott said his captors seemed "very well organized" as he was provided with adequate food. He said the group had no problems getting daily supplies.

"They had sliced loaf... especially for me. They had sandwich spread. They had a supply of that regularly. The food is quite adequate," he said, adding that he had the same kind of meal -- sliced loaf twice a day and a serving of rice for supper -- for almost four weeks.

He added that he was treated very well by the kidnappers the whole time he was in captivity.

Sinnot said he was made to stay in a very narrow encampment in a swampy area during the first 10 days of his captivity, and then transferred to a forested area where he was provided enough space for his daily exercise, indicating that the kidnappers knew about the 78-year-old priest's medical condition.

Sinnott said he was told by his kidnappers that he would be released on November 4, but it was called off due to the bad sea condition in Mindanao.

"We hiked in a forested area and when we were halfway down the side of a mountain [there was] a cellphone call, and the thing had been abandoned. The waves were too high and the boat can't come," he said.

He said he was then told that he would be released the next week, and on Wednesday [November 11] afternoon, a call came again. He said they hiked again, travelled by pumpboat for 8 hours and arrived in Zamboanga City on Thursday morning.

Dolorfino had said that an MILF task force received the priest from the kidnappers. Sinnot was then turned over to the MILF's ceasefire committee, which handed over the Irish priest to its counterparts in the government peace panel.

The government's ceasefire committee handed over Sinnott to peace panel chief Ambassador Rafael Seguis around 4:25 a.m. in the coastal village of Salangi, and then brought to the military camp in Zamboanga City for medical check-up and debriefing.

Won't sue kidnappers

Dolorfino said they gathered significant information about the possible identities of the kidnappers during Sinnott's debriefing. He, however, declined to reveal details as they have yet to confirm the names with other intelligence information.

"We have conducted a significant debriefing of Father Sinnott. We will collate that with our own intelligence information, and so that will aid the investigation being conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP)," the regional military commander said.

Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, said they will convince the priest to file complaints against his kidnappers.

Sinnott, however, said that he has no plans of filing complaints, saying "I don't know who kidnapped me really."

Espina had said that they will continue investigating the possible involvement of the MILF’s 113th Base Command, including its leader, Aloy Al-Asree.

In a statement posted on the MILF’s website after Sinnott’s release, its leadership said Al-Asree actually helped in the release of the Irish priest.

‘Hardly a second time’

The priest said he is hoping that he will be allowed by his superiors to return and serve again in Pagadian City. He said he is confident that he will not be abducted again by the same group.

“They’ll hardly kidnap me a second time because I’m a bit old and I found hiking a bit difficult at times,” he said.

The priest jokingly added: “I think that they would kidnap a younger man the next time.”

Sinnott said that after his stay in Manila, he would have to meet with his superiors first to discuss his future plans.

Peace talks in December?

Following Sinnott's release, Seguis said the government will continue its peace efforts with the MILF, and they hope that formal talks can resume in December.

"So, this [release] can facilitate the resumption of talks," he added.

In an interview with dzMM on Thursday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said that based on the initial investigation, Sinnott is in good condition.

He attributed Sinnott’s release to the efforts of the area Crisis Management Committee.

Brawner said the AFP has launched a manhunt not only for Sinnott’s kidnappers but also for the kidnappers of a beheaded school principal in Basilan.

No ransom was paid for Sinnott's release, Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said in a statement, thanking the U.S. and European governments and the International Committee of the Red Cross for helping in the efforts to free the priest.

"The release of Father Michael represents the successful conclusion of a major diplomatic effort by the Irish and Philippine governments," Martin said.

"As in previous kidnaps, no ransom was paid by the Irish Government. To do so would only have jeopardized the vital work of aid workers and missionaries around the world - it would also place other Irish citizens in danger." -- With a report from Manny Mogato, Reuters