MANILA, Philippines—Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairman Leila de Lima described on Thursday as a “good start” in seeking justice for the victims of the mass murder in Maguindanao the government's taking custody of Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr., a prime suspect in the massacre of at least 57 people in Maguindanao last Monday.

“It's a good start because it could have been worse or less than satisfactory in the sense that at this point... not all who have participated have been arrested,” De Lima told reporters following a forum hosted by St. Scolastica's College in Manila to discuss the worst massacre of civilians in the country's history.

De Lima said it must be made clear if Ampatuan was indeed arrested or if the latest development was merely a way to “diffuse the volatile situation because of the tremendous pressure from the international community like the UN (United Nations) and the EU (European Union).”

Ampatuan was flown to Manila under the custody by presidential adviser Jesus Dureza. Technically, he turned himself in for questioning. By late Thursday afternoon, a multiple murder charge has been filed against the mayor and he had undergone inquest.

The mayor is the son of a formidable politician, Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr., a political ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Asked if she was satisfied with Arroyo's reaction to the massacre, De Lima said while it was difficult to “pass judgement on the statements or body language of the President,” public sentiment was that the Chief Executive failed to meet people's expectations.

“People were expecting stronger words or a more concrete expression of condemnation given the gravity or magnitude of the crime. Nakukulangan ang mga tao (People are not satisfied),” De Lima said.

De Lima theorized that the Chief Executive could be “agonizing” between her own feelings towards the carnage and her reportedly close ties with the Ampatuans.

“She may be agonizing over the situation. Definitely, she is very enraged and outraged like everybody else but how to express given the political baggage that this administration carries all these years, how do you address that?” de Lima said.

The CHR chair assured the public that the government's human rights body would be monitoring the latest developments in the pursuit of justice for the massacre victims that included the wife, relatives, and supporters of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu and several journalists.

De Lima said the CHR investigating team has received information about the massacre from witnesses whose identities the human rights watchdog is keeping confidential for security reasons.

She said that reports of the alleged involvement of civilian volunteer officers (CVO) and paramilitary men in the carnage should be investigated.

“Apparently, we can see that the Cafgu (Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit), and policemen have been a regular part of the security, if not private army, of the Ampatuans. It's something talked about in whispers that is now only exposed,” De Lima said.