DAVAO CITY -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) declared Tuesday that it would continue with its efforts in rescuing a kidnapped Irish priest in Mindanao.

It can be recalled that just last week, the MILF raised howl over the accusation of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno that a Moro rebel commander was behind the abduction of Fr. Michael Sinnott.

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The Moro rebel front even warned to withdraw its cooperation in the rescue of Sinnott.

"[But] after evaluating the statements of key government officials on the abduction of Fr. Michael Sinnott in the face of DILG Secretary Rodolfo Puno's blunt accusation of MILF involvement, the group has decided to continue its joint efforts with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) for the immediate rescue of the priest,” the MILF stated in a report by luwaran.com, the rebel group’s official website.

The MILF decision was credited to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Anabelle Abaya, and GRP chief peace negotiator Ambassador Rafael Seguis, who, the MILF said, made positive conciliatory statements short of rebuffing Puno, who directly accused the group of masterminding the kidnapping of Sinnott.

"These statements," said one senior member of the MILF Central Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, "validated that Puno's colleagues do not share his views."

The decision of the MILF central leadership was contained in an official statement that was released Tuesday and signed by Sammy Al-Mansoor, MILF chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF).

However, Al-Mansoor clarified that even without these statements coming from the high-ranking government officials, the Moro rebel front will still not abandon its rescue operation even if it has to do it alone.

He cited as reasons humanitarian ground and in response to the appeals of the international community, particularly those coming from Ireland and Northern Ireland.

He said it is the responsibility of the MILF to help rescue kidnapped victims, priest or not. He said this obligation is anchored on Islam and international humanitarian law and human rights law.

Puno, for his part said, he is "willing to eat my words if it means the safety of Fr. Sinnott."

He said the government is “adopting a wait and see attitude as far as the efforts of the MILF is concerned."

"We are giving a little bit more leeway for the central committee of the MILF to have some elbow rooms to do what they want to do, although we still maintain that the kidnappers are members of their organization," Puno told reporters in Zamboanga City on Tuesday.

"We believe that their efforts to try help Fr. Sinnott is positive and we would like to give them as much as elbow room that is necessary for them to be effective," he added.

Sinnott, 79, a member of the Mission Society of Saint Columban (MSSC), was seized by six gunmen in the evening of October 11 from the MSSC compound in Gatas district, Pagadian City, the capital of Zamboanga del Sur.

The MILF remains unresponsive on the government’s request to make the identified suspects appear before the investigators handling the case of Sinnott.

The six MILF leaders implicated by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Sinnott's kidnapping are Latip Jamat, 113rd Brigade commander; Salip Aloy Alsree, 113rd Base commander; Imam Abubakar and Saidamen Ali, both battalion commanders under 113rd Base Command; and Nasser Macabato and Wanning Abdusalam, both members of the MILF's Special Operations Group (SOG).

But through the MILF peace panel, the Moro rebel group directed Tuesday its Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) to immediately reestablish formal contact with its counterpart in government in order to resume formal cooperation for the immediate and safe rescue of the priest. (BOT/Sun.Star Davao/Bong Garcia/Sunnex)