Captors of a 79-year old Irish missionary kidnapped in the southern Philippines have released a video in which the priest says his abductors are demanding $2 million to release him.

The video was obtained by government negotiators and broadcast on GMA television network in Manila on Saturday. It shows Rev Michael Sinnott holding a copy of the October 22 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper. That was 11 days after his abduction.

Sinnott appeals in a weak voice to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Irish government, his fellow missionaries and friends “who may have pity... to help so that I can get out of here as soon as possible”.

Gunmen seized Sinnott in Pagadian city in Zamboanga del Sur province on October 11 in the latest hostage crisis to grip this predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

It remains unclear who is holding Sinnott. The volatile south has grappled with decades of Muslim separatist unrest, and militants have conducted kidnappings in the past but have denied involvement in Sinnott’s abduction.

Allan Molde, spokesman for the provincial Crisis Management Committee handling the hostage crisis, said the video was handed to a law enforcer on the committee by one of its operatives Saturday.

Molde said he recognised Sinnott on the video.

“He’s well, he’s OK, but you can see the sadness in his face,” Molde said by telephone from Pagadian.

He said it appeared that Sinnott, who has grown some facial hair, was reading from something that was handed to him.