Claims of mass grave in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A Philippines human rights panel says it will investigate claims that hundreds of people were killed in 2001 in Maguindanao, scene of a massacre last month.

Leila de Lima, chairwoman of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, said during a Wednesday news conference in Manila the "whispers" alleged 200 people were killed, some reportedly by a chainsaw, GMANews.TV reported.

De Lima said the office would look into the allegations after it finishes its investigation of the Nov. 23 election-related massacre of 57 people, including 30 journalists and media professionals, in Maguindanao province. The victims, which also included relatives, lawyers and supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu, were allegedly killed by followers of Andal Ampatuan Jr.

When investigators went to Maguindanao province to look into the November massacre, residents told stories of people allegedly killed and buried in mass graves by the Ampatuan family in 2001, when the family's power in the province began to rise, de Lima said.

"There were at least 200 killings in this 'chainsaw massacre.' (As) to who they were we don't know yet," de Lima said. "We only learned about this through word of mouth, through whispers."

She said the commission expected to begin looking into the 2001 matter in about two weeks, GMANews.TV said.

"We have no evidence yet," de Lima said. "But given the right evidence, people we talked to claimed they can pinpoint those graves."