MANILA, Philippines – The government remains open to the offer by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to help rescue kidnapped Irish priest, Michael Sinnott, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Wednesday.

“We are consoled by the fact that the MILF leadership, specifically Eid Kabalu, continues to say that they're helping in determining where he might be,” he told reporters in a briefing. “It's important to have such a statement. That means there's goodwill...”

Ermita’s statement practically reverses the one made by Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno on Tuesday, rejecting the MILF’s offer of help.

In a press conference, Puno linked the separatist group to the abduction of the 79-year-old Sinnott and identified Aloy Al Ashree, commander of the MILF's 113th Brigade, as the one behind priest’s abduction.

Puno added that the Department of Interior and Local Governments and the Philippine National Police have been building up the cases to be filed against Al Ashree and his men.

The MILF immediately defended Al Ashree, saying the commander has in fact been working for the release of Sinnott.