The Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( MILF), the largest rebel organization in the Philippines, on Monday vehemently denied involvement in the jailbreak in southern Philippine province of Basilan early Sunday.
Eid Kabalu, the MILF military spokesman, in an interview on dzXL radio said "the MILF has nothing to do with the jailbreak in Basilan Provincial Jail."
Around 30 armed men attacked the Basilan provincial jail in Isabela city early Sunday, freeing 31 inmates including Dan Asnawi, the second highest ranking military official of the MILF in Basilan, police said.
Government authorities pointed blame to MILF forces as the group behind the massive jailbreak.
But Kabalu clarified that only Asnawi was the MILF among the escapees, even as he pointed to certain Long Sulaiman as the commander of the armed men that forcibly swooped in to the jail.
Kabalu siad Asnawi just took advantage of the situation to escape. The real targets of rescue operation were the Abu Sayyaf prisoners, he said.
Saying that an internal investigation by the MILF is underway, Kabalu called on Asnawi to get in touch with the MILF leadership.
Scores of the escapees, including Asnawi, were being charged of multiple murder in relation to the case of beheadings of 10 Philippine
marine soldiers following the encounter between government forces and MILF fighters at Baragnay Guinanta in Albarka, Basilan on July 10, 2007.
Asnawi was arrested by police on November 7, 2009 while already boarded a passenger plane at Zamboanga City International Airport.
meanwhile, Philippine government spokesman Cerge Remonde said the incident will not affect peace talks between the Philippine government and
the 11,800-member MILF, that was resumed only last week in Malaysia.
"So far we do not believe it will affect the peace process right now," Remonde said in an interview on dwIZ radio.