5 Dec 2009

Arroyo slaps martial law on massacre province

10:02 pm on 5 December 2009

A strife-torn southern Philippine province is under martial law as soldiers hunt down members of its ruling family accused of the massacre of 57 people.

President Gloria Arroyo placed Maguindanao province under military rule on Friday in an effort to contain the private armies of the provincial governor and other members of his Muslim clan.

Within hours of martial law being declared, special forces stormed into the home of the governor, Andal Ampatuan Sr, and took him into custody.

One of his sons has already been charged with 25 counts of murder for the 23 November massacre. He turned himself in last week.

Slaughtered convoy included 30 journalists

The police allege that he and 100 of his gunmen shot dead the occupants of a convoy that included relatives of his rival for the post of Maguindanao governor in next year's elections, as well as 30 journalists.

The rival, Esmael Mangudadatu, said the killings were carried out to stop him from running for office.

The Ampatuan clan have long controlled Maguindanao province and have been loyal supporters of President Arroyo, but since the killings Mr Ampatuan Sr, his son and his brother Zalday have been expelled from her party.

Troops raided the family's compounds on Friday after the discovery of what was described as an arsenal of weapons buried several hundred metres outside the Ampatuan compound in Maguindanao's capital, Shariff Aguak.