MILF summons commander in Basilan jailbreak

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Monday ordered one of its commanders who escaped from a Basilan jail facility last Wednesday to get in touch with its central leadership as soon as possible. But while the MILF called on Laksaw Asnawi to make contact, it also questioned the circumstances of his arrest and eventual incarceration last November. “Asnawi just took advantage of the situation to escape. The real targets of rescue operation were the Abu Sayyaf prisoners," MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said on the MILF Web site. Kabalu was referring to the group of armed men who stormed the Basilan Provincial Jail last Sunday to free 31 inmates, 21 of them considered "high risk" by the government. He denied that the attackers were MILF members. The MILF noted that Asnawi was one of several people facing multiple murder charges for the beheading of 10 Marine soldiers following an encounter in Al-Barka, Basilan in July 2007. But Kabalu said that with the internal investigation underway, Asnawi should “get in touch with the MILF leadership." The MILF said police arrested Asnawi last November 7 after he had boarded a plane at the Zamboanga City International Airport. At the time, Asnawi and his wife were heading for Mecca to perform the Hajj. “This arrest of Brother Laksaw is a serious violation of the ceasefire accord between the government and MILF," the MILF said but did not elaborate. The group described Asnawi as the second highest ranking military official of the MILF in Basilan. The government is offering P2 million for any information that could lead to the arrest of the 21 escapees, which are mostly Abu Sayyaf members. - KBK, GMANews.TV