AS TEST of sincerity, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita urged the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to surface the alleged mastermind behind the abduction of Irish priest Michael Sinnott.

Speaking to reporters at his weekly briefing Wednesday, Ermita said one way of showing goodwill and sincerity by the MILF is to surrender MILF Commander Aloy Al Asree who is said to be responsible for Sinnott's kidnapping.

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MILF has announced its intention of helping the government in pursuing the abductors of the ailing Irish missionary.

Ermita said they are willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the MILF although some government sectors are skeptical about it.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno on Tuesday even said that the government will no longer welcome the operations of the MILF.

But Ermita said he is expecting Puno to know the side of the Malacanang.

"As a matter of fact there is a suggestion that the actions of both the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) and MILF should be coordinated through the panel therefore it should be made known to our chairman Undersecretary (Rafael) Seguis who in turn can coordinate with his counterpart in the MILF," he said.

Ermita also said even the indication of double talk will not stop the palace to still be open to the help of MILF believing that they are sincere with the help they are extending.

"We continue to accept the offer of the MILF to help recover Father Sinnott safely," he said. "The MILF is an irregular force which has no full control of their people especially the base command."

He said the rogue elements of the MILF are the ones who were implicated in the abduction and needed to be pursued by the authorities.

"We are just hoping that that they are sincere and I believe they also know the consequences of their actions if ever they are not sincere," he added.

Ermita also clarified that police and military forces are still in the general area and not generally relying to the MILF's investigation.

The Palace official believes there is no reason for the police and the military to be demoralized since they are aware of the ongoing talks the government is conducting with the MILF.

"They (should also bear in their mind) that we have ongoing ceasefire mechanisms. I forgot to mention that there is such thing as Adhoc Joint Action Group composed of MILF representatives and the GRP so that they would not allow and give sanctuary to rogue elements as well as kidnappers and criminal elements into their entry," he said.

He meanwhile said that the government will make sure that they are doing "everything to ensure that such coordination would be very effective."

"What is important here is that we are putting pressure to the abductors of Fr. Sinnott so that they could release the father in good condition without being hurt and that they would not insist with such demand," he said. "This is a test to the sincerity of the MILF leadership."

Sinnott has been held by the rogue elements of the MILF for about a month now after he was snatched in Pagadian City. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)