Reading this story was not how I wanted to start off my Monday morning. Authorities discovered the bodies of at least 30 people who had been kidnapped early today in the southern Philippines and called the incident politically motivated slaughter. The victims, at least 13 of them women which included a dozen journalists as well as lawyers and a woman who had planned to file her husband’s nomination for elections next year. For those who are familiar with the Philippines, elections are approaching which is a time that is very violent, especially in the southern provinces. On May 14, more than 45 million Filipinos will go to the polls to choose among 87,000 candidates vying for 17,000 national and local positions which also includes 268 House seats and half of the 24 currently seated in the country’s Senate. Mindanao is home to numerous armed groups, including Muslim rebels fighting for self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation, and political warlords and gangs who wage war against one another.

Additional Sources:
Los Angeles Times
Mindanao Examiner
Inquirer.net
philstar.com