MANILA - President Arroyo's adviser in Mindanao as well as her acting justice secretary on Wednesday said people clamoring for a swift action against the suspects and mastermind in the gruesome killing of more than 50 people in Maguindanao should expect "specific actions" taken within 24 hours to a few days.

Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza and acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera made the statements despite police and military reports pointing to Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. as the prime suspect in the massacre as well as a backhoe found in the Ampatuan killing field which bore markings of the name of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza said investigators from the police and the National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) are already preparing for "the next steps" by collating documents that would warrant questioning or arrests of the suspects in the massacre.

"May gagawing specific actions within 24 hours... As we speak now there is a documentation [of statements] coming from the group of the families of the victims," Dureza told ANC in an interview.

Dureza declined to reveal if the "specific actions" he was saying would mean people should expect charges being filed and arrests of the shooters and mastermind of the massacre.

He said he would "sleep that for the night" and would rather wait for the actions to be made within 24 hours.

Dureza, however, hinted that the actions that would be taken will "be moving us forward in everybody's expectations that we bring the culprits to answer the crimes that they committed."

The Philippine National Police has named Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. as the possible prime suspect in the election-related massacre committed on Monday in Ampatuan town.

"According to the initial reports, those who were abducted and murdered at Saniag were initially stopped by a group led by the mayor of Datu Unsay," national police spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said.

“Invitation sent”

Dureza said the police have not sent an invitation to Ampatuan Jr. to present himself before its investigators and air his side on the allegation.

He said the police and the NBI would have to prepare documents first before actually inviting Ampatuan Jr. for questioning.

He said the authorities could not act on the mere basis of verbal accusations from the victims' family.

Dureza was referring to the statement of Buluan town Vice-Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu that before his wife was killed, she told him over the phone that the armed men were led by Ampatuan Jr.

The vice-mayor added his conversation with his wife was cut off while she was telling him that Ampatuan Jr. was slapping her around.

No immediate arrests

Meanwhile, Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera on Wednesday also said that members of the Ampatuan clan alleged to be involved in the gruesome massacre in Ampatuan town cannot yet be arrested.

Devanadera, in a phone interview said that authorities were still in the process of collating evidence and conducting autopsies on the bodies of victims recovered from the massacre site.

She said the they cannot immediately pinpoint anybody as a suspect without sufficient basis.

Devanadera confirmed that 52 bodies were reported to been recovered from the site as Wednesday afternoon. Reports later however said that the number of bodies recovered have risen to 57 as the digging continues at the massacre site.

She said initial findings said that the victims were shot at close range as indicated by powder burns found on the clothes and bodies of the victims.

She said there was no evidence of rape or beheading as were purported in earlier reports.

Devanadera assured however that the suspects would be identified in the next few days.

She pointed to the presence of several members of the Arroyo Cabinet in Maguindanao to ensure that that the investigation would no be “turtle-paced” and that justice would be given to the victims of the massacre.

She appealed to the public to provide the government ample time for what she said was a difficult task.

She said they expect a report from the National Bureau of Investigation on the next few days on the next steps that would be undertaken by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

"Detain as material witness"

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. however said that the tagged members of the Amaptuan clan should be held by authorities including the elder Ampatuan.

“[Maguindanao] Governor Andal Ampatuan should be taken into custody by the police. I am suggesting that he be detained as a material witness considering that the reports of the military from Maguindanao indicate that the ones involved were militia men in the employ of the Andals,” said Pimentel in a statement Wednesday.

“A backhoe bearing the name of the provincial government of Gov. Ampatuan was used in digging the ground where dead bodies were dumped. There were many indications that would connect Gov. Andal unfortunately to this incident which he will have to explain. We are not saying he cannot explain – but he should be made to explain,” said the veteran lawmaker who is also from Mindanao.

He casted doubts however on whether President Arroyo can order the arrests of her powerful allies.

“Unfortunately, the President never had any political will except in instances which favors her. But this time, I think the magnitude of the offense is so horrible, that you can probably call it as a crime that calls to the heavens for vengeance,” said Pimentel.

He cited that the head of the Ampatuan clan is very close to each other.

“We know that Gov Andal is very close to the President. We know that he makes it a habit to kiss the hand of the president whenever they meet and ah, kilig na kilig naman ang Presidente,” said Pimentel in the statement.

Pimentel said however that “it is about time that the rule of law be upheld to set an example that even in the Moro areas of Mindanao, crime does not pay.”

Transfer witnesses

Devanadera meawnhile also said the DOJ is open to the possibility of transferring to Manila the alleged witnesses to the massacre to provide them with more protection.

She said the justice department is also investigating the fears expressed by some government prosecutors investigating the case and which were expressed to be affecting the case.

Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Leila de Lima earlier told radio dzMM she received reports that Mangudadatu’s wife, Genalyn, could have been raped.

De Lima said a private part of Mangudadatu’s wife was exposed and that it bore a bullet wound.

She added that other women, who were also brutally killed, were found naked, indicating that they could have been raped. With a report from Timi Nubla, ABS-CBN News