Monday, February 05, 2007
MILF disowns 'bombers' who bolted jail
MANILA -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Sunday denied that the suspected Kidapawan bombers who escaped from the North Cotabato Provincial Jail in Amas, North Cotabato are members of the group.
MILF central committee secretariat chairman Muhammad Ameen, in a press statement, also said there is no truth reports that the MILF had a hand in the escape of the 46 prisoners that included Mundos Kair, Datu Ali Sultan, and Guindo Tokan, who were suspects in the 2003 bombing of a bus terminal in Kidapawan.
"None of the high profile escapees are members of the MILF," he said adding that Sultan, aside from being tagged in the Kidapawan bombing, was also an alleged shabu dealer prior to his arrest for the blast.
North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piñol, in a press conference Saturday in his province, pointed to the MILF as behind last Friday's jailbreak and cited the manner in which the raid was conducted and the weapons used as proof.
The armed men, Piñol pointed out, used a rocket-propelled grenade, a "signature weapon of the MILF, to punch a hole in the wall and blast their way into the jail to free inmates.
But Ameen said it is not the style of the MILF to spring their members out of jail. He said they instead file a protest in the proper venues like the ceasefire committee or seek legal help.
"We are observing the ceasefire sincerely. We file protest through the proper mechanism of the ceasefire for the release of our men. Otherwise, we told their families to secure the legal help of lawyers," he said.
The police and military said some suspected MILF members raided the North Cotabato Provincial Jail and rescued 46 inmates, including the three suspected Kidapawan bombers.
Authorities were still trying to determine the affiliation of the escapees, particularly the three bombers. They are prepared to file a complaint before the coordinating committee on the cessation of hostilities if proven that the three or any of the escapees are MILF members. (JMR/Sunnex/With Sun.Star Davao)
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