Manila, 30 Nov. (AKI) - Hundreds of journalists and human rights activists protested near the presidential palace in the Philippines' capital, Manila, on Monday, seeking justice for colleagues who were among the 57 victims of a massacre in the south last week.

"We call for justice," Benny Antiporda, head of the National Press Club, said in a statement.

"The whole world has shown its disgust over what happened. The media workers killed in the massacre were not armed."

The National Union of Journalists said 59 journalists had been killed in the Philippines since 2001, without taking account of the 30 who were among last week's victims murdered in the southern province of Maguindanao.

Prosecutors have charged Andal Ampatuan Jr, a local mayor and member of a powerful political clan, with seven counts of murder and justice officials said they expected to file more charges in relation to the massacre.

Meanwhile, local media reported that police and military operatives on Monday raided the suspected storage area of high-powered firearms that could have been used to kill the victims of the massacre.

According to GMA News’ security forces seized high-powered guns, ammunition, a grenade, and military paraphernalia from a safe house belonging to a certain Inspector Saudi Mokamad in Cotabato City.

As investigations were continuing into the killings, president Gloria Arroyo, a key political ally of the Ampatuans, last week gave the interior secretary permission to suspend all local officials in the province of Maguindanao who may have a role in the crime.

Ampatuan Jr has denied any involvement in the killings, calling such accusations "baseless".

On Friday, the justice department moved to stop eight other members of the Ampatuan family from leaving the country as they were also placed under investigation.

The government was also planning to suspend and remove them from positions of power in the province to pave way for a fair inquiry.