COTABATO— (UPDATE 3) Allies of a political clan linked to the bloody massacre of at least 57 people last week rallied to their defence in the lawless southern Philippines on Sunday.

About a dozen mayors and other local officials from three provinces -- all allies of the powerful Ampatuan family -- met with regional governor Zaldy Ampatuan in his mansion while about 900 people, many of them children, rallied outside.

The governor's brother, Andal Ampatuan Jr, a local mayor, has been charged with the murder of 57 people, including political rivals, journalists, lawyers and eyewitnesses on Monday on the southern island of Mindanao.

The hundreds protesting outside Ampatuan's mansion chanted "Long live the Ampatuans" amid concerns that many officials linked to the clan may be suspended from their jobs while authorities probe the massacre.

"Don't remove the Ampatuans from their positions," said one placard while another protestor held one saying "Ampatuans, not guilty".

By close to mid-day, a convoy of more than 60 vehicles from Lanao Del Sur, led by local officials, joined the rally.

ARMM Solicitor General Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi said Sulu supporters of Governor Ampatuan's leadership, along with Muslims from Basilan, are protesting a reported government plan to suspend the governor as well as provincial local officials of Maguindanao.

At the same time, the ARMM governor has been meeting with at least 20 town mayors of Maguindanao after his brother, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. was charged with multiple murder for the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre.

Sixty-four people, including the wife, sisters, and supporters of a political rival and tens of journalists were killed in the massacre allegedly by Ampatuan Jr. and 100 armed men.

The mayors went to the regional governor's mansion here Sunday morning, to protest the government's plan to suspend all local executives belonging to the Ampatuan clan.

Gov. Ampatuan is expected to hold a news conference after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera has said Ampatuan Jr, who has already been detained in Manila, directly led the murder.

She has indicated more charges would likely be laid against others, saying the process of filing cases had only just begun.

Devanadera also revealed the suspect's father, Andal Ampatuan Sr, the leader of the Ampatuan clan and governor of Maguindanao province, was among eight other members of the family under investigation and not allowed to leave the country.

As part of their defence of the family, lawyers allied to the Ampatuan clan distributed documents among the protestors allegedly showing that Zaldy Ampatuan was in Manila at the time of the massacre.

The documents also included affidavits from survivors of the massacre, saying that only Ampatuan Jr. was seen at the site during the killings.

Maguindanao is part of Mindanao island, where Muslim clans rule vast areas backed by their own private armies, often out of the national government's control.

Ampatuan Sr. had been grooming his son to take over as governor of Maguindanao. The victims' relatives have alleged the Ampatuans organized the murders so that a rival candidate would not run for the post.

Ampatuan Sr. has been an ally of President Gloria Arroyo for most of this decade but Arroyo has moved swiftly to cut ties with the clan.

The president's Lakas Kampi CMD coalition quickly expelled the Ampatuans from the party following the murders.

Political analysts describe the Southeast Asian nation of more than 7,000 islands as extremely corrupt with the central government forced to team up with rogue politicians to win votes and have them control outlying areas.