Emergency rule in southern Philippines after massacre

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Updated November 24, 2009 21:06:54

The Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has placed parts of the country's south under emergency rule after the massacre of at least 39 people yesterday. Security forces have been given free rein in Maguindanao province and surrounding areas of southern Mindanao island, to hunt for gunmen who attacked people as they travelled to file candidate papers for next year's elections. Many Filippinos are used to the long history of sectarian violence in the south but Monday's murders were evidently sparked by a political feud.

Presenter: Karen Percy, South East Asia correspondent
Speaker: Nonoy Espina, National Union of Journalist, Philippines

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