MANILA, Philippines – Military intelligence also points to one Aloy Al Ashree as the leader of the kidnappers who abducted an Irish priest, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado said Friday.

“The initial information that we got is like that. We have intelligence information [naming Al Ashree],” Ibrado told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Ibrado’s statement supported an allegation by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno linking the rebel commander to the kidnapping of Father Michael Sinnott.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has disputed Puno’s accusation, saying Al Ashree, head of the MILF’s 113th Base Command, was actually trying to help free the abducted Irish priest.

Ibrado acknowledged, however, that the information on Al Ashree’s involvement “has to be confirmed yet.”

“We got some names. We also received some information commanders of the SOG [Special Operations Group] of the MILF were the ones holding him,” Ibrado added.

He said that military intervention was the last option of the government in seeking Sinnott’s release.

Ibrado said the military would wait for instructions from the Crisis Management Committee headed by Zamboanga del Sur Governor Aurora Cerilles, which has been tasked to handle the kidnapping case.

“We’re taking the cue from them. If they feel that there’s no hope in the negotiation, then all we want is a signal from them so that we can conduct rescue operations,” he said.