MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said at least 161 suspects directly participated in the gruesome massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan, Maguindanao last November 23.

Chief Superintendent Raul Castañeda, PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group commander, said multiple murder charges have been filed against 61 John Does who participated in the massacre before the Office of the State Prosecutor. He added that another 100 members of civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) from Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao will also face multiple murder charges.  

"Since the first day of the incident, efforts have been made by security forces and investigating units to immediately resolve and bring to justice those who are involved in the Maguindanao massacre," PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

Verzosa said some of the suspects remain at large and have taken up arms to avoid arrest. He added that the police will offer rewards for any information that would lead to the arrests of the suspects.

Police said police and Army officers participated in the massacre of 57 men, including representatives of the Mangudadatu clan, lawyers, supporters and media men who were supposed to cover the filing of certificates of candidacy of the Mangudadatus.

They said the plot to kill the Mangudadatus was hatched as early as November 20 at the start of the official period for the filing of COCs.

Two witnesses testified that they saw Datu Unsay, Maguindanao Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. shooting the victims with other CVOs at a hilly portion in Barangay Salman. They said the mayor shot some of the victims several times to make sure they were dead.

One witness, PO1 Rainer Tan Ebus, said most of the victims were shot on the head, chest or mouth at close range, less than 24 inches away.

He also testified that many of the women were stripped and shot in the genitals and that their vital parts "were chopped with a knife."

"When members of the Mangudadatu convoy saw the shooting being done by Mayor Ampatuan Jr. and Vice Mayor Datu Canor Ampatuan, they started jumping out of their vehicles to escape. The CVOs of Mayor Ampatuan then started shooting them. The women members of the Mangudadatus were shot inside their vehicles," Ebus's statement said.

31 suspects named

Police identified several of the suspects in the November 23 massacre, based on witnesses' accounts. They are:

1. Datu Unsay, Maguindanao Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.
2. Mayor Bahnarin Ampatuan
3. Vice-Mayor Zukarno Badal
4. Datu Ulo Ampatuan
5. Muhamad Sangki
6. Tammy Masukat
7. Vice Mayor Datu Canor Ampatuan
8. Tony Timba
9. Tommy Kenis Ampatuan
10. PO1 Abbey Guiadem
11. PO1 Rainier Ebus
12.  PO1 Ebad Musa
13. PO1 Warden Legawan,
14. Hadji Abedin Alamada Alias Kumander Beri
15. @Dahutay
16. Datu Ipi Ampatuan alias Datu Ipi
17. Datu Harris Ampatuan alias Datu Harris
18. Datu Moning Ampatuan alias Datu Moning
19. PO2 Tany Dalgan
20. PO1 Dukoy Badal
21. PO1 Alfie Pagabangan
22. PO1 Joharto Kamindan
23. PO1 Jonathan Engid
24. PO1 Datu Nor Kadir
25. Sgt. Abdul Sokor Abdullah
26. Sgt. Abdullah Karim Falcon
27. Sgt. Alnor Ampatuan
28. Sgt. Benzar Maulana
29. Master Sgt. Andrada
30. Inspector Sudi Mukamad
31. Kagi Kamar Ampatuan alias Datu Kanor Ampatuan

Timeline of the massacre

Police gave a detailed timeline of how the massacre occurred on November 23.

At 9 a.m, Senior Superintendent Abusama Maguid, OIC of Maguindanao police provincial office, said he received a bomb threat along the national highway, particulary at Sitio Malating, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan. He relayed the information to Chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay, deputy provincial police chief, who told him that the information was false.

One witness, Ebus, said he and several other members of the Ampatuans private army were waiting for the Mangudadatu convoy to pass the highway. After passing a checkpoint, the Ampatuans abducted the Mangudadatu convoy at gunpoint and brought them to the crime scene at Sitio Masalay, which is about 2.5 km away from the national highway.

After the massacre, some of the bodies were buried in shallow graves while the others were left at the crime scene.

At 11 a.m., elements of the 64th Infantry Batallion (IB) of the Philippine Army were alerted to the abduction of the Mangudadatu clan on the highway of Sitio Malating. Dicay, however, denied that any abduction took place after the Army arrived two hours later.

At 1:30 p.m., the 64th IB advanced eastward where the reported abduction took place. Troops conducting reconnaisance foot patrol met two CAFGUs, Esmail Canapi and Takpan Dilun, who were armed with one M-16 rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun. The two were accosted and later turned over to SPO2 Badawi Bakal, OIC of the Ampatuan police station, after Dilun's firearm seemed to match the one used at the massacre scene.

Because of inconsistencies in their reports, four police officers -- Maguid, Dikay, Bakal, and Senior Inspector Rex Diongon -- were ordered restricted at the ARMM police headquarters while undergoing investigatiomn.

Verzosa said some of the vehicles allegedly used by CVOs and police officers during the massacre, including 3 patrol cars, a Humvee and a Sangoko armored car, matched those seized at a raid in the Ampatuan warehouse in Shariff Aguak.