Manila, 25 Nov. (AKI) - Philippine president Gloria Arroyo declared Wednesday a national day of mourning, as the death toll from the massacre in the south of the country rose to 52. Arroyo expressed the government's sympathies to the families of the victims while authorities stepped up their search for those responsible.

The killings in Maguindanao province have been called the country's worst election massacre with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union calling on Arroyo to swiftly punish the attackers.

Six more bodies were recovered from a shallow grave on Wednesday close to where earlier bodies had been found, bringing the death toll to 52, including 18 journalists.

Those killed included relatives of Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent representatives to file nomination papers allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao province in May.

Police said they were investigating a member of a powerful clan allied with the government along with four police commanders.

A state of emergency remains in place in two provinces on the island of Mindanao to allow police to search for the gunmen.

But no suspects have yet been formally named in the killings which provoked outrage across the Philippines.

Arroyo has declared a state of emergency in two provinces on the island of Mindanao following Monday’s killings.

The dead included the wife and sisters of one of the candidates, and the journalists who were with them.

There are at least 250 political clans scattered throughout the Philippines, according to the non-profit Center for People Empowerment in Governance.

Violence is commonplace in elections - at least 126 people died in the 2007 elections.



(Photo: Xinhua)