The kidnappers of Irish missionary Father Michael Sinnott are demanding $2 million in exchange for his freedom in a video that showed that the 78-year old Catholic priest is still alive although visibly weak, a military official revealed Saturday.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, chief military information officer, said existence of the video was confirmed to him by military intelligence operatives in Mindanao.

“Our intelligence unit on the ground has a copy of it (video). They confirmed its existence and we are now trying to get one” said Brawner in a phone interview.

While Brawner admitted that he has not yet seen the video footage, he said the intelligence operatives who saw it told him that Father Sinnott was indeed the one in the video and holding a copy of a recent newspaper.

Brawner did not divulge how the local military intelligence units obtained a copy but he said that the local crisis management committee formed to solve the problem has also secured one.

“I don’t know how the video was exactly obtained but it was confirmed that Father Sinnott was indeed the one in the video. And then a two million US dollar was relayed as demand also in the video,” said Brawner.

“And according to him (Sinnott), the leader of the group holding him captive is Abu Jandal,” he added.