Martial law declared in Philippine province after massacre

[Robb]

Source: Laredo Sun

MANILA, December 5, 2009 (AFP) - The Philippine government declared martial law in a southern province Saturday as it vowed to crush the private armies of the region's ruling clan that is accused of being behind the massacre of 57 people.

President Gloria Arroyo placed Maguindanao province under military control late on Friday in an effort to contain the militias belonging to the provincial governor and other members of his Muslim clan, the government said.

It was also implemented to make it easier to bring the clan members into custody, presidential spokesman Cerge Remonde told reporters.

(snp)

It was the first time martial law had been declared anywhere in the Philippines since the reign of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. He had the whole of the country under martial law from 1972 to 1981.

Within hours of martial law being declared, special forces detained the province's governor and patriarch of the clan, Andal Ampatuan Snr, who since 2001 had ruled Maguindanao with the backing of his own private army.

Read more: http://www.laredosun.us/notas.asp?id=1583

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Robb]

2. It's sort of like I imagine the Middle Ages in Europe

...A central government that has to pick which warlords to support in order to keep the ones they don't like under wraps.

Devastating to the population.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Posteritatis]

4. September 1683 being so darned recent and all... (nt)

[imdjh]

5. That time too. I had forgotten about that one.

[Selena Harris]

6. Blackwater mercenaries?

Blackwater has a training ground there in the Phillipines for one of its subsidiaries called Satelles Solutions.

This could get VERY interesting.

Google Subic Bay and Satelles Solutions.

[Robb]

7. This will be "interesting" enough.

Frankly mercenaries would probably be among the most stable of armed groups down there at the moment. At least you know what motivated them yesterday is what motivates them today, and tomorrow.

[FreakinDJ]

8. Not a very credible claim - bogus internet rumor

Only you, Sourse Watch, and a Communist propaganda rag originated in the Philippines actually claims there is even a "Satelles Solutions" and with not even 1 independant sourse of information

From my perspective it is a bogus internet rumor