Philippines’ Government declared a state of emergency in the southern part of the country today after gunmen massacred at least 35 people apparently to prevent them from registering a candidate in a forthcoming local election, The Times reports.

The Philippines’ President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, announced the emergency decree as police and soldiers recovered more bodies from shallow graves in Maguindanao province on the southern island of Mindanao. The dead included the candidate’s wife and two sisters, who were filing election papers on his behalf, as well as journalists reporting on the event.

They appeared to have been killed with bullets and knives and the victims included a pregnant woman. The female victims showed signs of having been sexually assaulted.

Local military officers have said that they suspect the murders were carried out by supporters of the former Governor, Andal Ampatuan, whose family dominates politics in Maguindanao. His candidacy was to have been opposed, for the first time, by Ismael Mangudadatu, whose own clan is a long standing political rival of the Ampatuans.

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