MANILA - A member of the Ampatuan clan on Thursday said Datu Unsay Mayor Andal "Unsay" Ampatuan Jr., who allegedly led the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao, will surrender to authorities.

Energy Undersecretary Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan, a cousin of the Datu Unsay mayor, described how the family was able to convince Ampatuan Jr. to "undergo voluntary submission to due process."

The undersecretary, however, said that Ampatuan Jr. has repeatedly denied that he was involved in the massacre.

"Pressure ng buong pamilya na siya ay pakiusapan. Naniwala talaga siya na he will have to undergo voluntary submission to due process... Sinabi niya na hindi siya ang may kinalaman (He was pressured by the whole family. He was convinced that he will have to undergo voluntary submission to due process... He said he had nothing to do with it)," Ampatuan told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda.

Police and military forces have taken over vital installations in Maguindanao and the towns of Shariff Aguak and Ampatuan where the massacre took place. Police have already taken total control of the three areas, but assured that government transactions will go on as usual.

Among those killed were the wife of Buluan town Vice-Mayor Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu and his two sisters.

Mangudadatu's wife, escorted by supporters and journalists, was on her way to file a certificate of candidacy for governor on behalf of her husband when they were stopped and massacred by 100 armed men in Barangay Saniag, Ampatuan town. At least 57 bodies have been recovered at the site of the killing.

Ampatuan Jr. allegedly wanted to stop the wife from filing the COC. He was being groomed by the Ampatuan family to succeed the gubernatorial post.

A culture of violence

It was the first time that an Ampatuan clan member spoke before the public through national television.

During the interview, the undersecretary broke into tears as he sent a message to Mangudadatu and his whole clan.

"Sa iyo, alam ko Datu [Toto] na itong nangyari na ito ay sa isang bagay na hindi dapat nangyari (To you Datu Toto, this tragedy should not have happened).. It is something that we are all worried [about]. I hope this will stop," Undersecretary Ampatuan said.

He said the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus are related through intermarriage.

He added: "Sa mga kamag-anak namin sa mga Mangudadatu, alam namin ang mga kalungkutan nila na nadarama. Ako mismo kaibigan ko si Datu Toto (To all our relatives within Mangudadatu clan, we feel your grief. I myself am a close friend of Datu Toto)."

He told the vice-mayor that they should just let the tragedy pass as it is only part of politics. He said both clans have been allies for years and should not have to go through such tragedy.

Undersecretary Ampatuan blamed the culture of violence in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao when asked if a member of their clan is really capable of committing a massacre.

"This is an area where violence have dominated for many years, and it will be very difficult to spare anyone that they have no capacity for such violence," he said. "Mahirap sabihin na itong Ampatuan lang ang puwedeng gumawa niya. Kaya rin ng ibang grupo 'yan (It's hard to say that only the Ampatuans are capable of this. Other groups are also capable of doing that)."