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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Irish priest freed in Philippines | Irish priest freed in Philippines |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A 79-year-old Irish priest held hostage for a month by rebels in the Philippines has been released. | A 79-year-old Irish priest held hostage for a month by rebels in the Philippines has been released. |
| Fr Michael Sinnott was seized by gunmen from his mission office in Pagadian on Mindanao island on 11 October. | Fr Michael Sinnott was seized by gunmen from his mission office in Pagadian on Mindanao island on 11 October. |
| The Irish government said it had not paid a ransom for the release of the Columban missionary. | The Irish government said it had not paid a ransom for the release of the Columban missionary. |
| Philippine authorities believed Fr Sinnott was being held by rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). | Philippine authorities believed Fr Sinnott was being held by rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). |
| Fr Sinnott, who is originally from County Wexford, underwent a heart bypass operation four years ago. | Fr Sinnott, who is originally from County Wexford, underwent a heart bypass operation four years ago. |
| 'Fantastic news' | |
| Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, who is in Belfast for meetings, said Fr Sinnott was being looked after and was undergoing medical checks. | |
| Mr Martin said the priest had "displayed great forbearance in enduring more than a month in captivity, in spite of his age and difficult health", Associated Press news agency reported. | |
| Mr Martin said the release was the result of "a major diplomatic effort by the Irish and Filipino governments". | |
| He insisted no ransom had been paid. | |
| "To do so would only have jeopardised the vital work of aid workers and missionaries around the world - it would also place other Irish citizens in danger," Mr Martin said. | |
| One of Fr Sinnott's colleagues, Fr Donal Hogan, the Irish director of the Missionaries of St Columban, said he was delighted with the news. | |
| "It's a relief for his family, for the Columbans and for all the people who have supported him in Ireland, in Britain and in the US," he said. | |
| "It's just fantastic news - thank God." |