Manila - The murder of at least 24 unarmed civilians in the southern Philippines has underscored the worsening state of lawlessness in the country under the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The carnage was unmatched in brutality and ruthlessness, shocking even residents and officials of the southern region of Mindanao where violence is rampant.
The victims, who were mostly women and also several journalists, were riddled with bullets and mutilated by the assailants. Some bodies could not be identified because their faces were crushed, investigators said.
Vice President Noli De Castro urged the government to immediately bring to justice the perpetrators of the gruesome crime, even if they came from a prominent political family.
"Such barbaric acts have no placed in a civilized society and the perpetrators, regardless of power or political influence they wield, should be brought to justice," he said.
"Our country should be governed by law and the government should assert its power to stop warlordism," he said. "These acts of violence are more despicable considering that no respect whatsoever was given to media men."
Even Muslim separatist rebels, who have been involved in deadly clashes with government troops during the past year, were shocked by Monday's massacre in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province, 930 kilometres south of Manila.
"We strongly condemn this barbaric act," rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu said. "This is not an act of civilized people. This is the height of barbarism."
A matter of concern for many Filipinos was the fact that the perpetrators of the massacre, allegedly led by a scion of the powerful Ampatuan family, did not spare journalists who were there to do their jobs.
The other victims included the wife, two sisters and three female lawyers of Buluan town Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, who were on their way to file his certificate of candidacy as governor of Maguindanao in next year's elections.
Mangudadatu said prior to Monday's attack he and his family were threatened with death from the Ampatuans if he pushed ahead with his candidacy for the governorship of Maguindanao, currently held by the patriarch of the Ampatuans.
He explained that he sent an all-female team to file his candidacy in the hope that the Ampatuans would show respect for women and journalists.
But that plan failed. About 100 gunmen led by Shariff Aguak town Mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan Junior blocked the victims' vehicles and brought them to a nearby mountain village where they were killed, according to Mangudadatu.
"This comes as a shock, a surprise," said Jay Sonza, station manager of a Manila television channel whose two crew members were confirmed killed.
"I have never known of any incident in the Philippines or elsewhere in the world wherein several the members of the media were massacred in one single day, in broad daylight," he said.
Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based international journalist group, called on the Philippine government to immediately bring to justice the perpetrators of the crime.
"We have often condemned the culture of impunity and violence in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao," it said in a statement. "This time the frenzied violence of thugs working with corrupt politicians have resulted in incomprehensible bloodbath."
The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines said: "The government must without question bring those responsible for this massacre to justice, not just the killers but also the masterminds, whoever they are."
Political analysts were closely watching the moves of Arroyo regarding the incident since the Ampatuan family is her main political ally in Mindanao, where allegedly massive vote-rigging helped ensure her victory in the May 2004 elections.
Julkipli Wadi, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of the Philippines, expressed doubt that the Arroyo administration would come down hard on the Ampatuans who deliver substantial swing votes during elections.
"It (the Arroyo government) is beholden to the support, especially during election time, from people like the Ampatuans," he told a Manila television.
He added that Arroyo does not have "enough political will" to disarm the Ampatuans.
"Big political forces and personalities in the national government are sustaining the warlords, especially during election time, because they rely on big families for their votes," he added.
