Philippines mass murder charges sought

MANILA, Philippines, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The Philippine Justice Department Tuesday recommended 57 counts of murder against Andal Ampatuan Sr. and 197 others in the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people.

The panel said Nov. 23 slayings in Maguindanao province met the criteria for murder and the charges should be filed against Ampatuan and others who allegedly participated directly or indirectly in the incident, GMANews.tv reported.

The panel also recommended multiple murder charges be filed against Ampatuan's sons Andal Ampatuan Jr., Datu Unsay mayor; Zaldy Ampatuan, governor of autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao; and Sajid Ampatuan, governor of Maguindanao, as well as 11 other members of the Ampatuan family. Also included in the list of respondents were 62 police officers and four soldiers.

The eight-member panel listed the required circumstances -- treachery, cruelty, and premeditation -- necessary for the killings to be considered murder, the broadcaster said. Another qualifying circumstance cited in the resolution was the reliance on armed men, which was demonstrated by about 100 members of the Ampatuan clan's purported private army.

"From the witnesses presented by complainants, it can be deduced that the commission of the crime was planned deliberately by the perpetrators and that, until its consummation, there was an inexorable resolve to kill," the 78-page resolution said.

The 57 victims died when their convoy was attacked as it traveled to file a certificate of candidacy in an upcoming election.