Erlyn Umpal is seen with 14-day-old baby with fiancé McGilbert Arriola, a cameraman of UNTV television station who was among those slain in Maguindanao massacre November 23, 2009

MANILA - Relatives in General Santos City of some of the journalists slain in the Maguindanao massacre on Monday were in a state of disbelief, while colleagues expressed shock and outrage at the worst killing of journalists in the Philippines.

Erlyn Umpal tried to control herself but could not help but burst into tears because one of those slain was his fiancé McGilbert Arriola, a cameraman of UNTV television station.

The killing happened just 14 days after she gave birth to their baby. The two were set to be married in December.

Arriola, 21, had been a UNTV cameraman for more than a year.

Umpal said it was hard to accept the painful death of her fiancé. “Hustisya, bakit ganoon ang ginawa nila?” she cried during an interview.

The house of Alejandro Reblando of Manila Bulletin, meanwhile, was quiet. His kin were in disbelief as authorities confirmed that he was among those slain in the massacre.

Reblando’s brother and offspring declined an interview, but they expressed anger and pain over the senseless death.

The journalists were covering the attempt of the wife of gubernatorial aspirant Buluan Vice-Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu to file his certificate of candidacy. They were in a convoy with other relatives of Mangudadatu, lawyers, and other journalists.

The military said around 100 armed men stopped the convoy of vehicles in a remote section of a highway near the town of Ampatuan, which bears the same name as the political kingpin of the province.

Police said the bodies were found a few kilometers away, with a bulldozer apparently used to dig a mass grave.

Police said some of the victims were shot inside their vehicles, while one was believed to have been killed by gunfire while fleeing.

Police said a total of 46 bodies have already been recovered from the site of the massacre, as of this posting.

Mass funeral service

Various media groups and organizations also expressed their condemnation at the brutal death of their colleagues.

They said the massacre is on top of the unsolved cases of media killings under the Arroyo government.

They said the government must act to give justice to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre.

“Makita natin na may resulta ang ginagawa ng gobyerno, para mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima, lalo na ng mga miyembro ng mass media,” said Fr. Angel Buenavides, chair of Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Sarangani and General Santos City.

The journalists in General Santos said they want to hold a mass funeral service at the oval covered court once the bodies of their slain colleagues arrive.

Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. of General Santos City said he welcomes the plan, but said it should also be coordinated with the relatives of the slain journalists.

Acharon also joined the journalists in condemning the massacre.-- With a report from Chat Ansagay, ABS-CBN General Santos City