The military chief in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao took over as local governor after martial law was imposed today in the wake of the country's worst election-related crime last month.
Police took five members of the Ampatuan political clan, including the patriarch who is a close ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and other officials for questioning on the massacre of 57 people, more than half of whom were journalists.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told reporters the government suspended civil rights in the province, for the first time in nearly three decades, after receiving reports armed groups loyal to local mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr were massing in the area to launch a rebellion against his arrest last week.
Ampatuan jr is the main suspect in the killings on November 23rd when members of a rival political clan were attacked while they were on their way to file the candidacy of one of their leaders for elections next year.
The Ampatuan family has ruled in Muslim-dominated Maguindanao for nearly a decade.
"These are large forces that could really undertake violent actions against anybody in the province. By their sheer number, they are really a threat to the security of the province," Gen Victor Ibrado, head of the armed forces, told reporters.
Earlier, the Ampatuan patriarch was taken by security forces to Davao City where he later felt chest pains and a headache and was taken to a private hospital. His son Zaldy, governor of the five-province ARMM region in southern Philippines, was brought outside his region for questioning.
They were both taken out of Maguindanao to prevent violence and to pave the way for an impartial investigation. Officials said government workers in the province, including judges, have not been coming to work, most of them fearing reprisals from the Ampatuan clan.
Reuters