Die for an election

Philippinesnationalmourning Today, in the Philippines, it was national mourning to remember the 57 victims of the slaughter of journalists and politicians in the island of Mindanao. It may be not a final number because only today they have been discovered a mass grave in which there were 24 dead bodies riddled with bullets. Militiamen of the governor Andal Ampatuan have been accused of the massacre.

A hundred armed men attacked about thirty people to kidnap and kill them. This is the reconstruction done up to this time of ferocious acts of violence on Monday. Kidnapped persons had not happened there by chance. The massacre, in fact, intended to strike terror in the political opponents. The perpetrators were supporters of the Ampatuan family policy and they would be guided by the mayor of Aguak, Datu Unsay Ampatuan, political rival of Mangudadatu.
Among the victims there was also the wife of Mangudadatu who was going to present her husband's candidacy for governor of Maguindanao, before her convoy was attacked. With her, there were several family members and journalists who accompanied the supporters of Mangudadatu to lodge the application. He had received many threats, that's why he decided not to leave and submit the application by the militants of the party and his wife.

There are, however, four survivors of the massacre, for now kept safe by the governor's contender of the election in May, Esmael Mangudadatu. By the time passing there were also broadcast some details about the kidnapping. The women were seized and raped, many victims were beheaded or mutilated.
Investigators are convinced that the Ampatuan family (ally of President Arroyo) is responsible for the massacre, but until now, as Mangudadatu himself complaim, nobody was yet arrested because they don't "have any evidence".
President Arroyo has assured that the perpetrators of the attack will be identified and arrested as soon as possible, but it is very likely that this won't happen because Andal Ampatuan (son of provincial governor Ampatuan senior) is an ally of the president. Many people were waiting for this violent repression because in the three previous elections Ampatuan never had any rivals. And he's ready to do everything to keep not having any.