Lighting candles for justice. On November 23, 2009, at least 57 persons were brutally murdered by gunmen in what has become widely known as the Ampatuan (Maguindanao) Massacre. Most of the victims - local politicians, their supporters, lawyers, and journalists - were part of a convoy accompanying politicians on their way to formalizing their candidacies for the forthcoming national and local elections. The incident has gained worldwide condemnation not only because of the sheer atrocity and impunity by which it was carried out (allegedly upon the orders of sitting government officials), but largely because of the huge number of mediamen in the body count (at least 25; the largest number of journalists killed in a single day in recent history).
The woman and child above are among the citizens of Koronadal City who gathered downtown on November 25th to show their indignation of the killings and say a collective prayer for the victims.
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Note (Nov 2010): Casualty figures for journalists killed in the incident have since been pegged at 34; excluding one (1) whose body is still missing.
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