Puno Rejects MILF Request to Send Company-Size Contingent to Communicate with Sinnott Captors

November 3, 2009

Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday rejected outright a request by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)  to send a company-size delegation of its members to communicate with the kidnappers of Irish priest Michael Sinnott, saying that the need to send such a large contingent to simply relay a message indicates that they have no control over this group behind the kidnapping.

The secretary said he has  relayed his opposition to this proposal to the government’s peace panel headed by Ambassador Rafael Seguis that is in talks with the MILF.

Puno also reasserted that any attempt to rescue Sinnott will remain a police operation, with the military providing the necessary support to help guarantee the safe release and recovery of the victim.

He issued these statements in response to the request of the MILF to get involved in the operations to rescue Sinnott by sending a company-size contingent of 75 to 200 men accompanied by government troops to the kidnappers’ lair.

“Although we welcome and appreciate the  efforts of the MILF to participate in  the release of Sinnott, we believe it should be within the confines of the agreements that the MILF had forged  with the government,” Puno said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City “As you know, there will be a  resumption of the  peace process soon and we don’t want to create a situation that would complicate the peace negotiations.”

All requests by the MILF to get involved in the operations to secure Sinnott’s release should be coursed through the peace panel headed by Seguis, Puno said.

Puno said that “from this point onward the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be cutting off all (communication) with the MILF and direct all communications to the (government peace) panel to simplify things.”

He said that the government believes the kidnappers are either “directly or closely associated” with the MILF.

“We don’t understand why they need a company-size delegation and why they need a  security group to accompany them to (talk to) a group that they are saying will listen to them,” Puno said.

At the same time, Puno  directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to coordinate closely with the peace panel chaired by Seguis  to ensure that no violation of any agreement forged by the panel with the MILF gets violated in the process of recovering Sinnott.

The DILG chief likewise said that the national government will fully assist the local crisis management committee (CMC) in Zamboanga del Sur chaired by Gov. Aurora Cerilles “in whatever needs to be done to bring this (case) to a successful conclusion.”

Puno was in Pagadian City Sunday to meet with the Cerilles committee and discuss options on how to secure the Sinnott’s safe release.

“The crisis management committee is doing an excellent job,” Puno said. This (the case of Sinnott) is going to be handled directly by the CMC and we have extended our full support to Governor Cerilles  and confidence in the  way she has handled the situation.”

He also reiterated the government’s position that no ransom will be paid to secure Sinnott’s freedom.

“There will be no negotiations  for any ransom. We will  not pay any kind of ransom,” Puno said. “At the end of the day, our main concern is the safety of Father Sinnott. Suffice it  to say that the PNP and AFP have the situation under their watch.”