MILF denies involvement; DND to look into report

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) denied yesterday involvement in a botched arms deal that led to the arrest of US Sen. Leland Yee and several others in California.

For its part, the Department of National Defense (DND) said it would look into reports that a Philippine military captain was supposed to provide high-powered guns for smuggling to New Jersey in the United States.

“The news has been floated recently and we do not have any chance to validate that. Certainly, the MILF is not involved,” Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief peace negotiator, said. “We are talking peace and we are abiding by that principle of peace.”

Asked if he received any information about the incident, Iqbal said, “what is certain is that MILF is not a party to that kind of situation.”

DND spokesman Peter Galvez said, “We will have to verify the personalities they are mentioning in the complaint.”

Galvez asked for more details, adding that the government does not tolerate gunrunning.