MANILA - Emissaries from Malacañang and the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party offered the Mangudadatus several posts in government to avoid a clash with the Ampatuans in the upcoming polls in May 2010, ABS-CBN News has learned.

Before Monday's gruesome massacre, which left 52 people dead, emissaries of President Arroyo and Lakas had met with members of the Mangudadatu clan in Manila, in an effort to talk them into not running for the top provincial post in Maguindanao.

One of the meetings involved the family's matriarch Talubabai Daguil Mangudadatu, and Buluan Mayor Ibrahim Mangudadatu.

According to ABS-CBN News sources, Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu was offered several high-level government posts in exchange for his withdrawal of a planned run for Maguindanao governor.

Among those posts offered were as an ambassador, an undersecretary, a director in the National Power Corporation (Napocor), and as administrator of various government properties.

The Buluian vice mayor turned them all down however.

In another meeting, the Lakas-Kampi CMD party representatives tried to smooth things between the two clans, but still to no avail.

The meeting involved Lakas-Kampi CMD standard bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Vice-Mayor Mangudadatu and his brother, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Assemblyman Khadafy, Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan.

During the meeting, the party representatives also tried to keep Mangudadatu within the administration party's fold, but they reportedly refused to have their picture taken with members of the rival clan.

The Mangudadatus refused to talk about the incident.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, meanwhile, did not deny nor confirm the incident.

Liberal Party jump?

Meanwhile, the Liberal Party said Mangudadatu has offered to be their official candidate for Maguindanano governor in the May polls.

LP Chairman Franklin Drilon confirmed this in the ABS-CBN News Channel program Strictly Politics.

"Toto Mangudadatu is supposed to take his oath with us. I talked to him Friday and we're processing his interest in party affiliation and we're about to schedule him for oathtaking, and this happened so we have to postpone it," Drilon said.

The LP national chairman, in a statement, said he spoke to Vice Mayor Mangudadatu November 20 when the latter expressed his desire to join the LP and run against Andal Ampatuan Jr., son of the elder Ampatuan.

Drilon also said LP leaders extended their condolences to the Mangudadatu family and was temporary holding off negotiations with the Buluan vice mayor to allow the family to grieve the loss of their loved ones.

“But from his media interviews, I heard that Vice Mayor Mangudadatu was determined to pursue his candidacy for governor of Maguindanao and the LP will be willing to welcome him to our ranks,” Drilon said in the statement.

LP standard bearers Senator Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Roxas II, in a joint resolution, has called for an investigation into the incident by the Senate. With a report from Ces Oreña-Drilon, ABS-CBN News