Martial Law Imposed in the Southern Philippines

Residents in a province in the southern Philippines woke up to martial law on Monday. 57 people were killed in a massacre here in Maguindanao last month.

Philippine security forces said they were hunting down around 2,400 armed men loyal to the Ampatuan clan, whose members were linked to the election-related killings.

Troops have confiscated around 900 firearms including high-powered rifles and machine guns, 430,000 rounds of ammunition, and three armored vehicles after raids of several private properties of the Ampatuan family. The family has ruled in Muslim-dominated Maguindanao for nearly a decade.

Government forces imposed martial law on Saturday and took over parts of Maguindanao Province to restore order.

This is the first time martial law has been enforced in the Philippines after the 20-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

Armoured personnel carriers patrolled highways and soldiers guarded public buildings.

Security forces have taken into custody 62 men believed to be linked to the murders.

Members of the Ampatuan family, including the patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., and three of his sons, are being detained for rebellion.

Opposition lawmakers, activists and some analysts have said the imposition of martial law is an overkill, and might lead to human rights abuses.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said it should not be compared to the decades-long martial law under Marcos. This was to be in a limited area and time frame.

[Norberto Gonzales, Defense Secretary]:
"I think the people who ordered these murders will be caught soon, so we don't need to have martial law for a long period."

The countrys justice secretary says investigations into the massacre will continue.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NTD
• NTDTV
• Martial Law
• Philippine
• Maguindanao
• Ampatuan clan
• Muslim
• Dictatorship
• Ferdinand Marcos
• Massacre

[mighty690am]

am i correct if i say guns are illegal in philippines??? and what year was the ban? I was in phils in 08 and surprised to see a gun store in Robinsons mall manila..

[TaReaperz]

@jawex Don't be so ungrateful these Moro clans fought the Spaniards and Japanese instead of being followers. You should be thankful these clans existed.

[jawex]

martial law is appropriate doon sa maguindanao...and i think i must be imposed for a longer period of time...di lang nman kasi mga ampatuan ang clan jan, marami pa and usually they all do the same thing..iisang modus lang sila

[nqr2011]

hindi lang bitayin, dapat pupugutan ng ulo at saka ibaon sa lupa gamit ang backhoe.yung mga natitirang mga ampatuan susunugin kahit sino pra hindi dumadami uli pra hindi na makapaghigante.

[maganoy2009]

kaya nga,,yang mga abogado nasilaw cla s pera ng mga ampatuan,,hindi na dapat cla buhayin dito sa mundo,,mga demonyo yan cla,,,,mga swapang,,,

[TheHun914]

mali naman talaga yan

pagimpose ng martial law

taktika lang ni gloria

para maprotektahan

mga ampatuan

kase ang kasong rebelyon ay

pwedeng iabsolve ang murder, rape atbp.

bitayin na lang lahat, isama si gloria

at mga ampatuan na matataba!!

hehehehehehehe

[pensiyonado]

sana si gloria na lang hehehe

[pensiyonado]

tang ina mga taohuh!

[jayreemeth]

Its FERDINAND Marcos not FERNANDO

[torogi100]

mabuti para mahuli lahat ampatuan, akala nila invincible sila porke nasa administration sila. sana lang si arryo huwag niya sila tulungan. nagtaka lang ako bakit may mga abogado magtatanggol sa kanila, paano yung pinatay nila na abogado?