THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has begun efforts to recover abducted Irish priest Michael Sinnott, with Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno supervising the arrangements.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Saturday that Puno, who linked secessionist rebels to the abduction, was in Mindanao Friday to personally supervise the efforts.

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The military had said rescue operations will be a last resort, and that it will have to be cleared first with the Crisis Management Committee headed by the local government.

Puno earned the ire of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after he tagged the secessionist group as behind the abduction of Sinnott in Pagadian City last October 11.

Also last month, a video of Sinnott was aired on television where the 79-year-old Irish missionary held an October 22 newspaper and said his captors were demanding $2 million for his release.

On the other hand, the MILF angrily denied Puno’s claims and demanded that the Philippine government “correct” Puno’s statements.

Puno named Commander Aloy Al Ashree of the MILF’s 113th Base Command as responsible for the kidnapping of Sinnott.

The MILF said Al-Ashree attended the caucus where the MILF’s top commanders urged government to stop blaming him for Sinnott’s abduction.

“Placing the blames on Brother Aloy by the government, particularly by Secretary Puno of the DILG, is malicious, unfair and blatant violation of the ceasefire accord,” said the commanders at the caucus, according to an article posted Friday on the MILF website (www.luwaran.net).

They also reiterated their call on government to deal with the “malicious accusations” by Puno.

Al-Ashree and the other MILF commanders attended a caucus where MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal told the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) to uphold the Agreement on the Civilian Protection Component (ACPC) of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

The MILF article indicated the caucus took place Wednesday, the same day Iqbal cried foul over Puno’s accusation linking the MILF to Sinnott’s abduction.

“(The) truce and the civilian protection deal are very interrelated, hence, the MILF particularly the BIAF is enjoined to understand fully well and respect as well as uphold these agreements,” Iqbal said.

Other BIAF general staff, front commanders and base commanders, and MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities participated in the caucus.

The Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) agreed to adopt mechanism for the protection of civilian population and civilian properties against the danger arising from armed conflict situations.

Both sides signed the pact in a special meeting last October 27 in Kuala Lumpur under the facilitation of Malaysia.

The MILF commanders also want the IMT to lead the investigation.

IMT is an international body composed of the governments of Malaysia, Brunei, Libya and Japan with monitoring of the ceasefire accord and rehabilitation and development aspects of the GRP – MILF peace process.

Iqbal said there is a big chance that the IMT’s mandate will be reactivated soon in the wake of the ACPC of the IMT. (JMR/Sunnex)