MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police will conduct an inventory of firearms assigned to its personnel in Maguindanao province as part of efforts to isolate those who may have been taken part in the grisly massacre of civilians, including many journalists, in the municipality of Ampatuan.

This was according to National Police Commission Director Manuel Pontanal, who said also that the agency would monitor the PNP’s handling of the administrative cases against policemen linked to the crime.

“The firearms of the police officers are being subjected to tests and all those personnel are being investigated. I believe an inventory of all firearms issued to all personnel of the PNP will be conducted,” Pontanal said at the Kapihan sa Sulo forum.

At the same time, Amina Rasul of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy appealed to the authorities to professionalize the PNP so that its personnel, especially those in Mindanao, would not be tempted to be involved in illegal activities.

“If there is the Balikatan exercises to help the military practice... we should also professionalize the police because they are the ones that are always present in the community. They won't be seen as the colonizing force because they're part of the community,” Rasul said.

At present, she said, the police have little training, are ill-equipped and are vulnerable to the lure of corruption.

“The first line of defense in Muslim Mindanao is the police. We'd like to know what is the proposal of the PNP in giving us a police force that can give us law and order and implement the rule of law,” she added.

At least 64 people were killed in last Monday’s massacre which shocked the nation and much of the rest of the world. Those slain included members of the Mangudadatu clan, journalists, lawyers and passersby. Their convoy was waylaid by a group of about 100 men before they were shot, hacked and buried in common graves.

The killings have been linked to the political rivalry between the Mangudadatus and the powerful Ampatuan clan, and members of the police are believed to have been involved.

With witnesses placing him at the crime scene, Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay town, has surrendered to the authorities but denied involvement in the massacre.

But lawyer Alan Paguia warned that Ampatuan's arrest may be challenged and rendered ineffective since it was made more than 24 hours after the killings on Monday.

Paguia, speaking in the same forum, said authorities should have made arrests during the 24-hour period after the crime was committed, and those who failed to act may have to be penalized.

“Can that warrantless arrest be sustained in a court of law? No, because it was after 24 hours. So if there was no official action within 24 hours, somebody has to be held accountable for an omission,” he said.