Ampatuans contest in polls

Manila: Around 68 members of a powerful Filipino-Muslim clan — involved in the massacre of 57 political rivals (including 32 journalists) last year — were listed among 879 candidates running for 374 posts in their region, to fight for supremacy in the May 10 polls, a local paper has said.

Fifty of the 68 carry the Ampatuan surname while 23 are directly related to Datu Ampatuan Sr., who is imprisoned with five other Ampatuans in Manila's suburban Taguig for last year's massacre Mindanews reported.

Losing out

The Ampatuans lost their membership with the ruling Lakas Party after Andal Ampatuan Jr., a town mayor in Maguidannao, and 100 armed men killed the wife, two sisters, and political followers of Esmael Mangudadatu, a town vice-mayor while he filed his certificate of candidacy on November 23.

Mangudadatu wanted to run as governor of Maguindanao, but Ampatuan Jr. wanted the post that was held by his father, Ampatuan Sr. for three terms ending 2009.

In order for the Ampatuan clan to survive politically this year, "two candidates from the same family branch, including brother against brother and daughter against father [were fielded in the May 10 polls]," Mindanews said.