Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Secretary Jesus Dureza's meeting with the Ampatuans at Andal Ampatuan Sr.'s Shariff Aguak residence, Lerio Bompat, ABS-CBN Cotabato

MANILA - Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza on Tuesday said he has received assurances from two warring clans in Maguindanao that they will cooperate with a government investigation on Monday's massace of some 46 people including journalists in Ampatuan town.

In an interview on ANC, Dureza said he met with members of the Ampatuan and Mangudadatu clans in Maguindanao and urged them to cooperate with a Department of Justice investigation on the incident.

"We will apply the full force of the law regardless of who is there on the other end. As far as the Palace is concerned, we have to apply the law here," he said.

At least 46 people were abducted and killed by some 100 armed men in Barangay Saniag, Ampatuan town Monday in the bloodiest poll-related incident in the run up to the 2010 elections. The dead include Genalyn Tiamzon-Mangudadatu, who was on the way to file the nomination of her husband, Esmael, to contest the governorship of Maguindanao against Datu Andal Ampatuan, who is a known ally of President Arroyo.

On Tuesday, President Arroyo placed the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City under emergency rule to stave off possible escalation of violence in the areas.

Dureza, who heads a crisis management committee that would oversee military and police operations in the emergency areas, said he first met with the Mangudadatu family before meeting the Ampatuans including Andal, ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan and Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. at their residence in Shariff Aguak town.

"We met with the Ampatuan clan and they have assured us that they will cooperate fully in the investigation, and if there is evidence that would come out in the investigation, that they will participate in whatever investigation will be conducted,' he said.

He said the Ampatuans also made it clear that the Datu Unsay mayor "was not in hiding" amid reports that he led the massacre of members of the Mangudadatu clan.

Dureza said his purpose in meeting the two clans was to defuse a potentially dangerous situation. He said his mission was "not really to find out who was at fault or not. It was really a mission to see to it that I get the cooperation of everybody."

"I was doing my job to see to it that there will be a smooth handling of the required procedures in order to get people to cooperate. As to who is responsible, I will leave it to the hands of the investigators," he said.

He said he has asked the Mangudadatus to allow four reported survivors of the incident to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. The four survivors have linked the Ampatuans to the massacre, according to Buluan Mayor Ibrahim Mangudadatu.

Dureza said one of the reasons why the President declared a state of emergency was to allow the deployment of additional military troops to protect civilians.

The presidential adviser conceded that the proliferation of unlicensed firearms to private armies in the province has made the situation more volatile.

"These are necessary things that we have to do here if we want to maintain an equilibrium of peace here habang mainit ang mga tao. We need to see to it that law enforcement is done and prosecution is done. Gathering of evidence is done and there will be  no more violence. There is a lot of tension here among the different groups and supporters," he said.