MANILA, Philippines?Armed men hiding from the law in Maguindanao have resorted to stealing farm animals, striking fear in the hearts of villagers and forcing them to flee their homes, a parish priest said on Wednesday.

That's why, President Macapagal-Arroyo did right to approve the National Security Council's recommendation to extend the state of emergency in the province indefinitely, Fr. Eduardo Vasquez said.

``It's much better if the state of emergency stays,'' the priest at the St. Therese of the Child Jesus parish in Datu Piang town told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

Armed groups, including those being tracked down in connection with the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 persons, have been blamed for the disappearance of farm animals in Barangay Nabundas in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town.

?The armed men are taking away their animals right before their eyes. The villagers fear for their lives. Most have sought refuge in relatives' homes in other towns,'' Vasquez said.

Since the residents have abandoned their homes, the priests said he has not celebrated a Mass in the village since last month.

At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting in Baguio City, Ms Arroyo decided to extend indefinitely the state of emergency in Maguindanao, Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat that she proclaimed in the aftermath of the massacre.

She also imposed martial law in Maguindanao from Dec. 4 to 12 to quell a ?rebellion in the offing'' by armed men loyal to the Ampatuan clan, which was implicated in the massacre.

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo also issued a statement expressing support for the retention of the state of emergency in those three places, according to Malacañang.

Gary Olivar, a presidential spokesperson, welcomed the fact that religious leaders were backing the recommendation of the NSC to extend the state of emergency.

``We seem to have the support from experts as well as leaders,'' he said by phone.

Meanwhile, Malacañang was still organizing the commission created to oversee the dismantling of private armies in Maguindanao and other ?hot spots'' in the country.

``The process is under way. The names are being finalized,'' Olivar said, referring to the commission, which is to be composed of representatives from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the Ulama League of the Philippines, the military, police and the media.