Top officials meet in Zambo on Irish priest abduction
by Queenie Casimiro, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga | 11/05/2009 7:35 PM
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ZAMBOANGA - Two members of President Arroyo’s Cabinet and top police and military officials converged Wednesday in Zamboanga City to discuss their plan to recover Father Michael Sinnott from captivity.
National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director-General Jesus Verzosa, Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino held a closed-door conference at the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations office. They were joined by other regional police and military officials.
Information received by military intelligence sources revealed that the Irish priest is still being held captive in the tri-boundary of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.
"We have sent military and naval assets to the coastal villages of Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Malabang, Balabagan, Bagangan Peninsula and Olutangga Island," Dolorfino said.
The military general also revealed that troops of the 104th and 103rd Army brigades have already "sealed off all possible egress."
Police have also sent additional forces to the area. Verzosa said that their elite mobile forces are already on standby should there be a need to conduct rescue operations.
"We have already alerted our territorial commanders." Verzosa said," Our RMGs [regional mobile groups] and PNP-SAF [Special Action Force] are also on alert."
Authorities said, a "misencounter with the MILF [Moro Islamic Liberation Front] is the last thing they desire."
Which is why, Verzosa said, they hope to clear the area of any MILF elements that might have already been sent to the area by the MILF Central Committee in search for Sinnott.
Dolorfino however was quick to clarify that a task force created by the MILF remains in Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao province. He said it is awaiting approval from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process on their request to participate in rescue efforts for the abducted missionary.
Meanwhile, Verzosa said, the police continues to collate more evidence to be filed against the kidnappers of the Irish priest, some of whom were identified to be alleged members of the MILF's 113th Base Command.
The officials are set to conduct a press conference after the closed-door meeting. by Queenie Casimiro, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga
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