No words can describe the bestial acts perpetrated yesterday in Maguindanao against civilians, mostly women. Together with the group were two sisters and the wife of Esmael Mangudadatu, Vice Mayor of Buluan town, who were on their way to file his certificate of candidacy as provincial governor of Maguindanao when they were attacked in broad daylight. They were murdered in cold blood and there were reports that some of the women were also sexually violated, in a senseless massacre that will go down in the annals of this country’s history as the worst election-related violence. If unarmed women, lawyers and journalists are not safe, who is safe?

From news reports, the Vice Mayor was quoted to have said that he purposely sent his wife, sisters and female relatives to file his candidacy without military escorts as he believed that they would not be harmed being women and unarmed. But to his shock, the perpetrators precisely took advantage of this position of vulnerability and succeeded in committing those barbaric acts.

We, the Mindanao Commission on Women and the Mothers for Peace, express our outrage at this new low in bestiality perpetrated by men on civilians but most specially on women. If the reports that the women were violated are found true, we condemn it. Sexual violence is an issue of power, domination and control wielded by men over women. In times of conflict, it is used by men to ensure utter humiliation of the enemy. This latest incident by men, who are widely-believed to belong to a private army, makes us shudder at what will happen in the days ahead if these criminals and their principals are not brought to justice.

We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Mangudadatu family. Eden Mangudadatu, sister of BuluanVice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, and a Vice Mayor herself had attended activities of the Mindanao Commission on Women. It is ironic that early this year Eden participated in discussions of our project, “Women Healing Communities: Preventing and Reducing Rido (clan feuds)”. During the session, she shared her thoughts about rido and how women played an important role in settling cases of clan violence.

The barbaric and brutal massacre in Maguindanao shows the total breakdown of security in parts of Mindanao where many women and their families live in dehumanizing poverty and violent conflict. We call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – as President and as a woman - to do the right thing: disband and disarm the private armies, bring down the full force of the law on the perpetrators, and rid Maguindanao and other parts of Mindanao of the scourge of warlordism. We also call on our colleagues and partners in the development community to stand unafraid to denounce this crime loud and clear. Let us continue to work for the end of conflicts that divide us, so that our children will grow up imbibing not anger, hatred and violence, but love, justice and peace. As Mothers for Peace, we commit to continue our work for peace in the ways of peace.