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Philippines massacre suspect declares innocence

Manila, Philippines --- The man charged in the grisly killings of at least 57 people in the Philippines claimed his innocence from his jail cell, blaming instead the leader of a militant Islamic group.
Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay and son of the provincial governor of Maguindanao, was charged with seven counts of murder on Friday. Justice officials said they expect to file more charges as the massacre investigation unfolds.
They said they have collected 17 sworn statements from witnesses and expect more.
From behind bars, Ampatuan denied any involvement in an interview with a state-run television station,

Meanwhile, police were on alert to prevent further violence in the aftermath of Monday's massacre in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines.

Violence in the run-up to elections -- the next set for May -- is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media.
Ampatuan voluntarily turned himself in for questioning Thursday, then was charged.
In the subsequent television interview, he blamed Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Umbra Kato as the possible architect of the massacre.
Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation.
Negotiations between one of those armed groups, the MILF, and the Philippine government broke down last year after the country's Supreme Court blocked a proposed peace deal that would have increased the size and scope of the autonomous region.
The MILF lashed out at Ampatuan over his accusation, calling it a "clear attempt to divert the issue," ABS-CBN reported.
Suspicion fell on Ampatuan after a government construction vehicle was found at the site of the hastily dug mass grave where the massacre victims' bodies were found.
Among the victims were the wife and sister of Islamel "Toto" Mungudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan, the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself.
Also killed were a dozen journalists who had accompanied the women.
Witnesses and local officials have blamed Ampatuan, a longtime ally of Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and a known warlord.
They said the killings were an attempt to block Mungudadatu from challenging him in gubernatorial elections.

The exact number of those kidnapped and killed was still unclear, as recovery continued at the mass grave site in Maguindanao.