All's well that ends well

We were happy to read that the kidnapping of Irish missionary Fr. Michael “Mick” Sinnott was settled with his safe release. Above all, it is good to see that the situation was settled with no known casualties.

According to initial statements from the Philippine government, it was intimated that Father Sinnott was kidnapped by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Father Sinnott though has since said that he was kidnapped and held by a “lost command” and the “original lumad”. He said in his press conference that they were tribesmen who sought international recognition for their struggle to regain their ‘lost lands’. Apparently, he was released with no ransom paid and was delivered into the hands of the Philippine government peace negotiators by the MILF (who helped negotiate the release of Father Sinnott).

The timing of Father Sinnott’s release, while termed coincidental, is fortuitous. President Barack Obama, who has already said that he will not visit the Philippines, is set to begin the first major international tour of his presidency in Asia. He will of course be attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Singapore which starts today, November 14. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be attending the APEC Leaders’ Meeting as well. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived Thursday (November 12) for a short 24-hour stay - where she pledged additional US disaster aid to the Philippines, expressed her support of the Visiting Forces Agreement and offered support in the on-going negotiation efforts with the Muslim rebels in the south. Luckily, Father Sinnott was released a few hours before the arrival of Secretary Clinton.

The Philippines has always had a dubious reputation when it comes to kidnap-for-ransom. We remember in 1997 when Fortune magazine (in their March 17 issue of that year) termed the Philippines the “kidnapping capital of Asia”. Naturally, this caused a bit of controversy. What was worse though was that groups came out and said that the numbers Fortune magazine used were actually understated. According to Fortune in 1996 we had 241 kidnap victims, double the number for 1995. But that 1995 number showed that we had 40 times more kidnappings over that of Thailand. We hope that in the years since that article ran the situation has improved.

The story of Father Sinnott has ended well. Despite his advanced age and health problems (he is recovering from a heart bypass) he escaped relatively unscathed. At least the kidnappers did not abuse him. Unfortunately, not all kidnappings end so well. Just a few days ago Gabriel Canizares (a school principal from Jolo, Sulu) was beheaded by his captors.

Kidnap-for-ransom is a direct reflection of the state of security in the Philippines. That some go unreported speaks to the fact that there is little confidence in our security forces. This is a situation that has to change. If the Philippines wants to become a tourist haven and continue to grow as a nation we have to get our security situation under control. International visitors and Filipinos alike need to feel comfortable and safe in our country. Where do we begin when it comes to fixing our national security? That is the burden of our future leaders: How do they increase the people’s confidence in our justice system?

In the end, we are happy to see the safe return of Father Sinnott. However, the story is not yet finished. Now an investigation into what has occurred begins and the work to bring the perpetrators to justice begins. We hope to see that story end just as successfully.