The Philippine military has said a video released by the kidnappers of Fr Michael Sinnott could give them vital clues to his exact location and the identity of his captors.
The video, obtained by reporters at the weekend, showed the 79-year-old priest making a statement under duress in which he said his kidnappers were demanding $2m (€1.35m) ransom for his freedom.
The video could 'determine or confirm the initial information that we have obtained, for example on the identity of the kidnappers and where they are,' armed forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner told reporters.
'There are other clues that we can obtain from the video,' Mr Brawner said, a day after the Philippine government rejected the ransom demand.
Fr Sinnott, who has a history of heart problems, said in the video he was being held by someone called Abu Jayad.
'We had our intelligence community check this and found out that this person is non-existent,' Mr Brawner said. 'So we know now for a fact that this is a pseudonym or a code-name being used.'
Mr Brawner said the video also showed vegetation that once analysed could pinpoint the location of Fr Sinnott.
Six armed men seized Fr Sinnott on 11 October from the Society of St Columban's mission house in Pagadian city, on the strife-torn southern island of Mindanao.
He is believed to have been taken to a jungle area in nearby Lanao del Norte province, where Muslim separatist rebels and other armed groups are known to operate.
Authorities have given conflicting statements about Fr Sinnott’s captors.
The military said initially that he was being held by a pirate but Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro blamed rogue elements of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The 12,000-strong MILF, which has been waging a separatist rebellion since 1978 but is now negotiating peace with Manila, has repeatedly denied involvement and has offered help in getting the elderly priest back.
