A Muslim clan accused of a political massacre last month killed at least 200 other people during its rule of a southern Philippine province, the nation’s human rights commissioner said on Wednesday.
“We are looking at a minimum of 200,” Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Leila de Lima told reporters, adding the bodies were believed to be buried in mass graves scattered across Maguindanao province.
Other News:
- Is the idiot prince short of funds? Police lent Prince Charles money: report
- Saudis roasted in drone strike in Waziristan/looks like we’re (sometimes) droning in the right direction…
- Progress: Jihadis dynamite schools in NW Pakistan/not to worry: dumb infidels will cough up more money to build new Koran schools…
- Somalia: Islamophobes kill people inside mosque — no, wait…
At the same time, the nation’s police chief said Wednesday that at least 161 people are suspected of having directly participated in the massacre.
“We have so far identified 161 suspects who directly participated in the gruesome massacre,” Philippines National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa told a nationally televised news briefing.
Police and army officers were among those who carried out the killings of 57 people on November 23 in Maguindanao province, other police chiefs told the briefing.
They said Andal Ampatuan Jnr, a local mayor, led the killings to stop a rival politician from registering as a candidate for provincial governor in next year’s elections.
Ampatuan Jnr has already been arrested and charged with 25 counts of murder in relation to the massacre.
Giving the most detailed official account of the massacre yet, police said Wednesday 26 of the victims were women and 32 were journalists.
Ampatuan Jnr allegedly abducted the female relatives of a rival politician, plus a group of journalists travelling with them, then shot them dead.
Some of the victims’ bodies had been mutilated with knives as well as shot, police said.
Ampatuan Jnr’s father, the governor of Maguindanao, and other members of his powerful Muslim clan have also been detained and may face murder charges, police said earlier.
President Gloria Arroyo imposed martial law in Maguindanao on Friday night to quell what the government said was a rebellion by the Ampatuan clan.


{ 1 trackback }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t believe mine is the first comment since 9th Dec 2009.
SWITCH over to ABC, NOW. Yes, you read right!
Mark Willacy has gone to the Philipnes to report on the trail of the islamist who ordered the deaths of 50 people last year. Very revealing. He even asks why the world media hasn’t touched this story.
See, the ABC IS getting braver.
At 8:00PM for Foreign Correspondent, “Pet Monsters”.
http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2010/s2861682.htm?site=perth
How brave the muslim male when gathered in a group and facing down the weak and the defenceless. How spineless and weak the muslim male when facing his own moral weakness or a victim who will fight back.