Maguindanao massacre
| Maguindanao massacre | |
|---|---|
Map of the Philippines with Maguindanao highlighted | |
| Location | Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao (now Maguindanao del Sur), Mindanao, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 6°48′34″N 124°26′22″E / 6.80944°N 124.43944°E |
| Date | November 23, 2009 c. 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. (UTC+8) |
| Target | Esmael Mangudadatu's family members, supporters, journalists |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder, mass kidnapping, political violence |
| Weapons | Firearms and machetes |
| Deaths | 58 (Esmael Mangudadatu's family members and supporters, 32 accompanying journalists, and 6 other civilians) |
| Perpetrators |
|
No. of participants | 197 |
| Motive | Political opposition to Esmael Mangudadatu |
| Verdict | See Verdict section below |
The Maguindanao massacre (also known as the Ampatuan massacre, named after the town where mass graves of victims were found) occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao, Philippines (now located in Maguindanao del Sur). The 58 victims were on their way to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, deputy-mayor of Buluan, when they were kidnapped and later killed. Mangudadatu was challenging Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., son of the incumbent Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and member of one of Mindanao's leading Muslim political clans, in the forthcoming Maguindanao gubernatorial election, part of the national elections in 2010. Those killed included Mangudadatu's wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy.
At the time, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the Maguindanao massacre the "single deadliest event" for journalists since they began compiling records in 1992; at least 34 journalists are known to have died in the attack. Even before the massacre, the CPJ had labelled the Philippines the second most dangerous country for journalists, second only to Iraq. The incident is also the deadliest mass shooting to ever occur in the Philippines.