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Charged with mass murder

Ms Devanadera said prosecutors had laid seven charges of multiple murder against Andal Ampatuan Jnr over the killings on Monday in the southern province of Maguindanao where he is a mayor. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

MANILA - A PHILIPPINE politician was charged with mass murder on Friday after authorities accused him of ordering soldiers, police and other gunmen to kill at least 57 defenceless people in an organised slaughter.

Andal Ampatuan Jnr, a mayor in the lawless southern Philippines who until this week was an ally of President Gloria Arroyo, was charged with seven counts of multiple murder, the government said.

'He was the one who gave the instructions. He was among those... who killed the victims,' Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera told reporters as she outlined the case against Ampatuan Jnr.

Ms Devanadera also announced the suspect's father, the leader of the Ampatuan clan and governor of Maguindanao province, was among eight other members of the powerful family under investigation and not allowed to leave the country.

An emotional Devanadera earlier on Friday gave the most detailed official account yet of Monday's election-linked massacre, saying the female victims may have also been raped.

Ms Devanadera said the witnesses told prosecutors that Ampatuan Jnr ordered his private militia of more than 100 gunmen to open fire on the group of people on a remote farming area in Maguindanao province. The gunmen had a short time earlier abducted a convoy of aides and relatives of a rival Muslim politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, plus a batch of local journalists. -- AFP