Presidential aide wants Maguindanao placed under state of emergency after civilians' massacre

MANILA, Nov. 23 — Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza has asked the government to place Maguindanao province under state of emergency following the gruesome massacre of civilians Monday morning.

Secretary Dureza strongly recommended that a state of emergency be imposed in Maguindanao and everyone in the province to be disarmed.

”This is a gruesome massacre of civilians unequaled in recent history. Even women and media men were not spared. There must be a total stop to this senseless violence,” Secretary Dureza said in a text message to Malacanang reporters.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said in a local television interview that 21 bodies – 13 female and eight male – have so far been recovered.

Reports reaching the AFP said that 29 people identified with Buluan, Maguindanao Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, a gubertorial candidate in Maguindanao in the coming 2010 elections, were abducted, beheaded, shot dead by gunmen allegedly led by the Ampatuan political clan in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao this morning.

Brawner added the 29 victims were among more or less 50 people abducted by some 100 armed men believed to be supporters of the Ampatuan political clan while their convoy was on the way to the Provincial Election Office in Shariff Aguak to file the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of Vice Mayor Mangudadatu by his wife Genalyn together with their lawyers and some 30 local journalists.

Vice Mayor Mangudadatu in a radio interview, said the victims were abducted around 10:30 a.m. while on their way to Maguindanao election office to file his COC. He will run for governor of Maguindanao and his wife, Genalyn, was to file his COC.

Meanwhile, Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio said in a text message to Malacanang reporters that the Palace was shocked and in total outrage over what happened in Maguindanao this morning.

”Justice will be served and the perpetrators punished, whoever they are,” Secretary Claudio added in his statement to mediamen. (PNA)

LAP/rudyma

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