The wife of a candidate for governor and about 30 others were abducted Monday morning in the southern
Philippines -- with at least 21 of them later killed, army officials said.
The woman was on her way to file her husband's nomination papers, when some 100 armed men abducted her and the others in Maguindanao province, said the candidate, Ibrahim Mangudadatu.
Army Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said soldiers later recovered 21 bodies -- 13 women and eight men -- from the area where the abduction occurred.
Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza has asked the government to place Maguindanao province under a state of emergency.
"This is a gruesome massacre of civilians unequaled in recent history. Even women and media men were not spared. There must be a total stop to this senseless violence," Dureza said told reporters.
Mangudadatu blamed the abduction on the person he is challenging for the governorship of Maguindanao: incumbent Andal Ampatuan, who has held control of the area for the past decade.
The two are competing in elections that will be held on May 10.
The governor could not be reached for comment.
Maguindanao is a Muslim autonomous region out of the control of the central government. - CNN
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