At least 21 dead in Philippine 'political massacre'
by Jason Gutierrez
32 mins ago
MANILA (AFP) – At least 21 people were murdered in the lawless southern Philippines on Monday in a shocking massacre that the military and relatives of the victims said was likely linked to a political rivalry.
Local journalists and supporters of a local politician in Maguindanao province were among those murdered, with some of them beheaded and mutilated, the military and relatives said.
Armed forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said the bodies of 21 people had been recovered, 13 of whom were women, and that the death toll was likely to rise.
"We believe more bodies are buried in the ground and we are trying to recover them," Brawner said in an interview with the ABS-CBN television network.
Brawner said earlier that gunmen linked to a powerful politician had seized a group of about 40 people, made up of members of a rival political clan and the media, who had been travelling to an electoral office on Monday morning.
The leader of the rival political clan, Esmael Mangudadatu, had been meaning to nominate for the governorship of the mainly Muslim Maguindanao province for next year's elections.
He was not in the group that was abducted. But his wife was in the group and had been intending to lodge his nomination for him.
The Mangudadatu clan is known to have a long-running feud with the family of Maguindanao's incumbent governor Andal Ampatuan, who police say is known to control his own private army.
Mangudadatu said his wife was among those killed and that many of the victims had been mutilated.
"Their private parts were showing, their heads were crushed, they were mutilated," he told ABS-CBN, as he blamed Ampatuan clan for the killings.
Before the bodies were recovered, Brawner said gunman linked to Ampatuan had abducted the group.
Although he would not say afterwards that the Ampatuan clan was responsible for the killings, he said it was a strong suspect.
"Right now that's the angle we're looking at. The abduction of the Mangudadato family members by the elements of the Ampatuans is due to a political feud," Brawner said.
Revenge killings and clashes among rival political clans are common in Maguindanao and other parts of Mindanao island, where unlicensed firearms proliferate and a Muslim insurgency has waged for decades.
The Philippines is also regarded as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists.
However the scale of Monday's slaughter sent immediate shock waves through the country.
"This is a gruesome massacre of civilians unequalled in recent history," said Jess Dureza, President Gloria Arroyo's adviser on the strife-torn southern island of Mindanao.
"There must be a total stop to this senseless violence. I strongly recommend that a state of emergency be imposed in the area and everyone be disarmed. Anything less will not work."
Arroyo's office later released a statement saying no effort would be spared to bring justice to the victims. Related article: Philippine govt vows justice
"Civilised society has no place for this kind of violence," the statement said.
Amid reports from media groups that as many as 12 of the victims may have been journalists, the National Press Club of the Philippines also expressed outrage.
"We are condemning this brutal incident. We have this culture of impunity in Mindanao that needs to change," club president Benny Antiporda said.
Before the reports of the death, Brawner said the leader of the militiamen who staged the kidnapping was one of Ampatuan's sons.
Esmael Mangudadatu's brother, Khdadafeh, also blamed Ampatuan.
"We suspect Ampatuan as being behind this," he told AFP.
"His son, Andal Ampatuan Jnr, is supposed to run for governor and he had already made an earlier announcement that we would be killed if (Esmael) filed the candidacy for governor."
by Jason Gutierrez
32 mins ago
MANILA (AFP) – At least 21 people were murdered in the lawless southern Philippines on Monday in a shocking massacre that the military and relatives of the victims said was likely linked to a political rivalry.
Local journalists and supporters of a local politician in Maguindanao province were among those murdered, with some of them beheaded and mutilated, the military and relatives said.
Armed forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said the bodies of 21 people had been recovered, 13 of whom were women, and that the death toll was likely to rise.
"We believe more bodies are buried in the ground and we are trying to recover them," Brawner said in an interview with the ABS-CBN television network.
Brawner said earlier that gunmen linked to a powerful politician had seized a group of about 40 people, made up of members of a rival political clan and the media, who had been travelling to an electoral office on Monday morning.
The leader of the rival political clan, Esmael Mangudadatu, had been meaning to nominate for the governorship of the mainly Muslim Maguindanao province for next year's elections.
He was not in the group that was abducted. But his wife was in the group and had been intending to lodge his nomination for him.
The Mangudadatu clan is known to have a long-running feud with the family of Maguindanao's incumbent governor Andal Ampatuan, who police say is known to control his own private army.
Mangudadatu said his wife was among those killed and that many of the victims had been mutilated.
"Their private parts were showing, their heads were crushed, they were mutilated," he told ABS-CBN, as he blamed Ampatuan clan for the killings.
Before the bodies were recovered, Brawner said gunman linked to Ampatuan had abducted the group.
Although he would not say afterwards that the Ampatuan clan was responsible for the killings, he said it was a strong suspect.
"Right now that's the angle we're looking at. The abduction of the Mangudadato family members by the elements of the Ampatuans is due to a political feud," Brawner said.
Revenge killings and clashes among rival political clans are common in Maguindanao and other parts of Mindanao island, where unlicensed firearms proliferate and a Muslim insurgency has waged for decades.
The Philippines is also regarded as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists.
However the scale of Monday's slaughter sent immediate shock waves through the country.
"This is a gruesome massacre of civilians unequalled in recent history," said Jess Dureza, President Gloria Arroyo's adviser on the strife-torn southern island of Mindanao.
"There must be a total stop to this senseless violence. I strongly recommend that a state of emergency be imposed in the area and everyone be disarmed. Anything less will not work."
Arroyo's office later released a statement saying no effort would be spared to bring justice to the victims. Related article: Philippine govt vows justice
"Civilised society has no place for this kind of violence," the statement said.
Amid reports from media groups that as many as 12 of the victims may have been journalists, the National Press Club of the Philippines also expressed outrage.
"We are condemning this brutal incident. We have this culture of impunity in Mindanao that needs to change," club president Benny Antiporda said.
Before the reports of the death, Brawner said the leader of the militiamen who staged the kidnapping was one of Ampatuan's sons.
Esmael Mangudadatu's brother, Khdadafeh, also blamed Ampatuan.
"We suspect Ampatuan as being behind this," he told AFP.
"His son, Andal Ampatuan Jnr, is supposed to run for governor and he had already made an earlier announcement that we would be killed if (Esmael) filed the candidacy for governor."
