MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- The Catholic Church in the Philippines says it is behind a memorial for 57 people killed last year in the politically motivated ''Maguindanao massacre.''
The Church's Radio Veritas said it is spearheading Tuesday's memorial with a simultaneous pealing of bells for 57 seconds throughout the country for those slaughtered, raped and mutilated a year ago on their way to register a gubernatorial candidate for Maguindanao province on the southern island of Mindanao.
"The Church is joining the struggle in asking the government to finish the trial promptly because justice delayed is justice denied," said Anton Pascual, president and chief operating officer of Radio Veritas.
About 200 members of the allegedly locally dominant Ampatuan family headed by the clan's politically powerful father have been accused of raping, killing and mutilating their victims including 31 members of the media and dumping them in a mass grave, The Sydney Morning Herald reported in its Tuesday edition.
About half that number is in custody including the head of the Ampatuan family and his son, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said.
A report released Nov. 16 by Human Rights Watch found the Ampatuan family linked to more than 50 murders not including those allegedly committed during the ''Maguindanao massacre,'' The Sydney Morning Herald said.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and families of the victims planned to retrace the route the media took that day.
"Retracing the steps of the convoy is not only a way to pay tribute to the victims, but to be able to understand how the killings were carried out by the same people who were supposed to protect them," Rowena Paraan of the Union said.
