Philippines arrests dozens, seizes weapons in province under martial law

MANILA, Dec. 6 -- Philippine troops on Sunday arrested dozens and discovered a second weapons cache as they continued to disarm a local political clan linked to last week's massacre of 57 people in the volatile south.

A military and police team during a raid to a ranch owned by Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. found a stash of 39 assorted high-powered guns including two M-60 light machineguns, a grenade launcher and a cal.50 and cal.30 machineguns, the authorities said.

Philippine police's Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) personnel unearth munitions at the farm of the Ampatuan clan in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao in southern Philippines December 6, 2009. Soldiers using sniffer dogs and shovels dug up rifles, machineguns and hundreds of crates of ammunition at a farm owned by the powerful political clan linked to a massacre of 57 people in the southern Philippines, officials said on Sunday.

It is the second time in this week security forces seized large amount of high-powered weapons allegedly owned by the Ampatuans to supply the family's 200-strong private army.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on late Friday imposed a martial law in Maguindanao as police and soldiers moved to disarm and arrest the Ampatuan clan, who are suspected of ordering the mass murder of people on a local political rival's election convoy last Nov. 23 in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao.

Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of the Datu Unsay town, was arrested and charged with 25 counts of murder.

According to the Philippine law, a martial law allows arrests to be made without warrants and civil rights are suspended for a preliminary period of 60 days.

National police chief Jesus A Verzosa said a total of 47 persons have been arrested in Maguindanao since the martial law was declared.

Philippine police's Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) personnel recover munitions at the farm of the Ampatuan clan in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, in southern Philippines December 6, 2009.

He said those arrested are undergoing investigation for involvement in an armed resistance against the government as indicated by the massing of forces in several towns, mobilization of local government employees for a stand-off with government forces and stockpiling of weapons.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado told the thousands of para-military soldiers loyal to the Ampatuans to surrender or to face the military's might.

Ibrado said at least 2,000 militiamen, locally known as civilian volunteer organization (CVO), were monitored to have been massing up in different areas in Maguindanao, a reason for the government to declare the martial law.

"They should surrender and they should also surrender their firearms because we are finding the CVOs involved in the massacre. If they do not surrender, they fight, then we have no other choice," he said.
(Reuters)