OZAMIZ CITY, October 12, 2009—The local church of Ozamiz vehemently condemned the act of kidnapping and urged prayer for the safety and immediate release of a Columban priest who was abducted by heavily armed men in fatigue last night inside the Columban house in Palera Street, Pagadi-an City in Zamboanga del Sur province on the southern Mindanao island.

Fr. Iluminado Rojo, director of Pope Paul VI Biblical Center for Mindanao and pastor of St. Nicholas Parish, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental stressed although we strongly condemned the act of kidnapping, we must pray for the safety and immediate release of Father Michael Sinnott, SSC, the founder of Hangop sa Kabataan, a Special Education Center for deaf and special children in Pagadian diocese.

“Pagadian Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar C. Ss.R and Pagadian clergy are making follow-up regarding the incident.” Rojo said in his text message.

In an interview with CBCPNews, Police Sr. Superintendent Ramon Otchotorena, Zamboanga del Sur PNP Provincial Director, said Fr. Sinnott was snatched by six heavily armed men inside the Columban House in Palera Street, Pagadian City and he was forced to board his car.

His car was abandoned and burned in Santa Lucia, Pagadian City and the armed men took the Columban priest away in a twin-engine boat.

"We have no definite news about who they were,'' Otchotorena told the CBCPNews.
The provincial police chief, said policemen and soldiers had been dispatched to track down the abductors. Otchotorena believed that the suspects used the Illana Bay as escape route going to Lanao del Sur or del Norte. (Wendell Talibong)