Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared martial law in township of Maguindanao, Philippines

Some of the 1,092 officers are under investigation for their role in the Nov. 23 massacre of the supporters of gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu and journalists, said Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police.

[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=*massacre&iid=7125270″ src=”7/d/9/7/Massacre_In_Southern_2759.jpg?adImageId=8052751&imageId=7125270″ width=”234″ height=”156″ /]Mangudadatu’s wife Genalin, his sisters Bai Eden and Bai Farina, who was four months pregnant, were leading the convoy that was seized by 100 gunmen and slaughtered. Some of them were buried in mass graves. The dead included 30 journalists who were to cover the filing of Mangudadatu’s nomination as governor in the May elections.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/25/death-toll-rises-in-phili_n_370282.html

The military on Wednesday announced that it was limiting the movements of the Ampatuan clan to avoid unpleasant incidents when arrest warrants were served against any family member.

The ARMM governor’s brother, Andal Ampatuan Jr., the mayor of Datu Unsay town, has been charged with multiple murder in connection with the massacre and is detained at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila.

The elder Ampatuan, patriarch of the family with close ties to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was charged by the NBI and Mangudadatu with multiple murder, damage to property and robbery.

[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=*&iid=7318408″ src=”d/3/8/6/Philippine_President_Gloria_d4f2.jpg?adImageId=8052570&imageId=7318408″ width=”234″ height=”351″ /]Ampatuan along with his father, Andal Ampatuan Sr. and several other family members, has been arrested by the military after Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared martial law in the province December 5, 2009.

 On November 23 supporters of local vice-mayor Ismail Mangudadatu and 30 journalists were killed as they prepared to launch his candidacy for the governance of the Maguindanao Province. The clan of Ampatuan were blamed for the incident but lawyers of the suspects say their clients are innocent.

 

 

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Follow this story here from my sources…

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091206-240390/Martial-law-administrator-has-a-mind-of-his-own

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/05/world/international-uk-philippines-abduction.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/12/05/philippines.massacre/

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