Death toll at 57 in Philippine massacre; probe focuses on president’s ally

Death toll at 57 in Philippine massacre

AMPATUAN, Philippines — Officials found 11 more bodies Wednesday at the site of an attack on an election caravan in the south, bringing the death toll in the massacre to 57, and police said they are investigating a member of a powerful clan allied with the president’s administration.

Six of the bodies in southern Maguindanao province were discovered in a large pit buried alongside three vehicles, and five were found in a mass grave a few miles (kilometers) off the main highway.

The vehicles — a sedan and two vans — were crushed by a large backhoe that ran over and buried them, investigator Jose Garcia said. Police were trying to determine if the vehicles were part of the caravan.

The dead from Monday’s massacre included the wife and two sisters of gubernatorial candidate Ismael Mangudadatu and 18 Filipino journalists accompanying the caravan. It is the largest number of reporters killed in a single attack anywhere in the world, according to media groups.

Police identified the prime suspect as Andal Ampatuan Jr., a scion of the powerful Ampatuan clan led by the former provincial governor. The clan, which has ruled the province unopposed for eight years, helped President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her allies win the 2004 presidential and 2007 senatorial elections by delivering crucial votes.

The military also said it will disarm two government-armed civilian militia companies, or about 200 men, in the province. The militia are meant to act as an auxiliary force to the military and police in fighting rebels and criminals but often serve as a private security force.

The killings provoked outrage beyond the Philippines, with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and media and human rights watchdogs urging Arroyo to punish the attackers.

Mangudadatu, after receiving death threats, had sent his wife and relatives to submit his candidacy. He wanted to challenge Andal Ampatuan Jr., who serves as a town mayor and whose family has ruled the province with an iron fist backed up by private armies and legions of bodyguards.

Mangudadatu said four people whom he refused to identify told him the convoy was stopped by dozens of gunmen loyal to Ampatuan. Police said they are investigating reports that Ampatuan, four police commanders, and dozens of police and pro-government militiamen were among the gunmen who blocked the convoy.

National Police Chief Jesus Versoza said the four commanders — including one provincial police chief — were relieved of their duties and confined to camp while being investigated.

Arroyo vowed justice for the victims and declared a national day of mourning.

“This is a supreme act of inhumanity that is a blight on our nation,” she said in a statement. “The perpetrators will not escape justice. The law will haunt them until they are caught.”

Arroyo declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao and a neighboring Sultan Kudarat province, sending extra troops and police. Troops set up checkpoints to confiscate illegal weapons, military spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said.

The country’s tourism secretary, Ace Durano, said in a statement that tourism spots frequented by travelers to the Philippines were unaffected.

Few think Arroyo will be able to restore the rule of law in the impoverished, lawless region that has been outside the central government’s reach for generations, and where warlords backed by private armies go by their own rules. Maguindanao’s acting governor is Sajid Ampatuan, another son of former Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the clan’s patriarch. Members of the family could not be reached for comment.

The clan helped deliver votes for the Arroyo administration in 2004 elections. Human Rights Watch expressed concern Wednesday that the administration’s relationship with the family would hinder an impartial investigation.

Arroyo’s ruling party, in an emergency meeting late Wednesday, expelled Ampatuan Sr. and his two sons.

Arroyo adviser Jesus Dureza said he met Tuesday with Andal Ampatuan Sr. and received assurances that his family would cooperate in the probe. Many throughout the Philippines expressed skepticism.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila condemned the killings. “Such barbaric acts violate the most fundamental principles of human rights and democracy,” Ambassador Kristie Kenney said. “We strongly believe that a thorough, rapid, and transparent investigation must be conducted, and those responsible must be brought to swift justice.”

Among the dead journalists was Alejandro “Bong” Reblando, 53, a former Associated Press stringer and the most senior in the group of reporters. Reblando, who was based in General Santos City, was a staffer for the Manila Bulletin daily newspaper.

He covered the southern Philippines for the AP from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, reporting on the Muslim separatist insurgency as well as local politics.

He is survived by his wife and seven children.