Manila - At least 27 Filipino journalists were among those killed in a grisly massacre of more than 50 people in the southern Philippines, a regional police chief said Wednesday. Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluna said the number of journalists killed could still increase as some of the victims in Monday's murders in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, have remained unidentified.
The journalists had accompanied the wife, two sisters and two human rights lawyers of Buluan town Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu in filing his certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor in next year's elections.
Mangudadatu organized an all-female team to file his candidacy because he allegedly received death threats from the camp of incumbent Governor Andal Ampatuan Senior, a very close political ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The victims' convoy was stopped by about 100 gunmen allegedly led by Mayor Andal Ampatuan Junior, the governor's son, and was diverted to a remote village where they were killed.
International media groups condemned the mass murder and called on Arroyo to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice.
"Never in the history of journalism have the news media suffered such a heavy loss of life in one day," the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said. "We call for a strong reaction from local and national authorities."
