Police recover at least 49 of their dead

The Philippine National Police has recovered at least 49 bodies of killed members of the Special Action Force (SAF) in Maguindanao before noon of Monday, January 26. The bodies were brought to the headquarters of the Army’s 6th infantry division in Cotabato City. Sources from the military said 10 more SAF members were missing and at least one civilian was killed. The carnage happened in a bailiwick of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which is involved in peace negotiations with the national government. Two senators – Alan Cayetano and JV Ejercito – withdrew authorship of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which seeks to create an autonomous region initially headed by the MILF. Passage of the law in the Senate requires a majority of the 24 senators. The withdrawal of the two senators now casts doubt on the passage of the law.

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The story on the senators’ withdrawal of their authorship of the Bangsamoro law is also on Rappler.