Gunmen killed politician in Philippine massacre province

GUNMEN on Monday killed a politician in the same southern Philippine province where 57 people were murdered in an election-linked massacre last year, police said.

Joseph Kwan Datuwata, 42, was ambushed as he and his two young children were leaving their home in Cotabato city in a pick-up truck, according to local policeman Senior Inspector Wally Kasuyo.

Datuwata, a local businessman who was running for a seat on the Cotabato city council in the May national elections, briefly pursued his attackers and exchanged gunfire with them, before dying, Kasuyo told reporters.

Cotabato is in Maguindanao province and just 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the site of the horrifying massacre in November last year that saw gunmen allegedly loyal to another local politician shoot dead 57 people.

All of Maguindanao province remains under a state of emergency following the massacre, with extra security forces deployed there in an effort to prevent any more violence.

But Kasuyo said police were not capable of stopping all incidents ahead of the elections.

"The police cannot be everywhere," Kasuyo said.

Across the Philippines, elections are always marred by violence with politicians infamous for using gunmen to eliminate rivals and intimidate voters.

At least 121 people were killed in the lead up to the 2007 congressional elections, according to national police statistics, slightly lower than the 148 who died in the 2004 national elections.

Including Monday's death, at least 63 people have so far been murdered in politically related violence ahead of this year's elections.

Datuwata planned to run under the slate of independent mayoral candidate Zeny Dilangalen, whose family has ties to President Gloria Arroyo's ruling coalition.

The Dilangalens are also related by marriage to the two rival Muslim clans involved in the November 23 massacre.

Local politician Andal Ampatuan Jnr is charged with murder over that massacre, which he allegedly orchestrated to stop Esmael Mangudadatu from running against him for the post of Maguindanao governor.

AFP