The province of Maguindanao in the southern Philippines is in virtual lockdown after a state of emergency was declared after the country's worst political massacre.
Hundreds of additional troops have been brought in after the massacre shocked a country where politics and journalism are the most dangerous of professions.
Local media reports say only four people out of a group of 40 who were kidnapped yesterday survived.
The others - women and journalists - were killed, some mutilated, some said to have been run over, others alive when they were thrown in shallow graves.
Nonoy Espina from the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines says the response to the massacre has been slow.
"We don't see anything much happening towards getting the perpetrators and... those responsible for this carnage," he said.
"The army has identified a main suspect as a town mayor in fact, who belongs to one of the prominent political families, who happen also to be very, very close to our administration here."
The Ampatuan family dominates politics in the southern Philippines with a good dose of violence and intimidation.
Family ties
The current Philippines President Gloria Arroyo and her administration are said to be closely tied to the family, which is crucial in securing votes in the region.
The rival Mangudadatu family was the target of the attack.
Vice-Mayor of Buluan, Esmael Mangudadatu, had sent his wife and sister with journalists in tow to lodge his application to run in the governor's race being held next year. He believed that they would be safe.
Mr Espina visited the region last week and says he was aware of the possibility of an attack.
"We were actually informed that something was going down, that the Ampatuans might try to stop the other family from filing their candidacy," he said.
"And they were inviting media, apparently believing that the process of media would somehow be a deterrent to anything bad happening.
"In their culture respect for women comes very strong, so probably that was part of the rationale why the mayor, the candidate himself, didn't go but sent his wife."
Mr Espina says corrupt officials almost certainly played a part in the massacre.
"It's almost a given that a lot of corruption would have been involved," he said.
"Probably some people were paid off or turned a blind eye. The reports we were having is that the police and local militia were actually involved in the massacre.
"We're still getting more details as time goes on, so we can't exactly say yet. But the fact is it could have been impossible for them not to know."
The police chief of the region has been stood down, but there is concern that the investigation will not go as high as it needs to in a country where few political crimes are ever prosecuted.
source : ABC
Hundreds of additional troops have been brought in after the massacre shocked a country where politics and journalism are the most dangerous of professions.
Local media reports say only four people out of a group of 40 who were kidnapped yesterday survived.
The others - women and journalists - were killed, some mutilated, some said to have been run over, others alive when they were thrown in shallow graves.
Nonoy Espina from the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines says the response to the massacre has been slow.
"We don't see anything much happening towards getting the perpetrators and... those responsible for this carnage," he said.
"The army has identified a main suspect as a town mayor in fact, who belongs to one of the prominent political families, who happen also to be very, very close to our administration here."
The Ampatuan family dominates politics in the southern Philippines with a good dose of violence and intimidation.
Family ties
The current Philippines President Gloria Arroyo and her administration are said to be closely tied to the family, which is crucial in securing votes in the region.
The rival Mangudadatu family was the target of the attack.
Vice-Mayor of Buluan, Esmael Mangudadatu, had sent his wife and sister with journalists in tow to lodge his application to run in the governor's race being held next year. He believed that they would be safe.
Mr Espina visited the region last week and says he was aware of the possibility of an attack.
"We were actually informed that something was going down, that the Ampatuans might try to stop the other family from filing their candidacy," he said.
"And they were inviting media, apparently believing that the process of media would somehow be a deterrent to anything bad happening.
"In their culture respect for women comes very strong, so probably that was part of the rationale why the mayor, the candidate himself, didn't go but sent his wife."
Mr Espina says corrupt officials almost certainly played a part in the massacre.
"It's almost a given that a lot of corruption would have been involved," he said.
"Probably some people were paid off or turned a blind eye. The reports we were having is that the police and local militia were actually involved in the massacre.
"We're still getting more details as time goes on, so we can't exactly say yet. But the fact is it could have been impossible for them not to know."
The police chief of the region has been stood down, but there is concern that the investigation will not go as high as it needs to in a country where few political crimes are ever prosecuted.
source : ABC
