The martial law edict will be lifted at 9 pm local time (1300 GMT) today, eight days after she signed the proclamation placing Maguindanao province under martial law and suspending the writ of habeas corpus, which allowed police and soldiers to arrest suspects

without court warrants, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.

It was the first time that martial law had been declared since the

late dictator Ferdinand Marcos imposed it nationwide more than 30 years ago and ruled by decree until he was toppled in 1986.

Arroyo took the step to enable security forces to move against

the Ampatuan clan which has

been blamed for the November

23 killings of members of a rival

clan and 30 journalists, and

accused of fomenting a rebellion to prevent authorities from arresting members of the family.

The Cabinet’s security group recommended the withdrawal of

the controversial proclamation

and Arroyo approved it during a meeting of the National Security Council early Saturday, Ermita told a televised news conference.

Ermita said a state of emergency declared a day after the massacre, which allows security forces to set up road checkpoints and seize firearms from civilians, will remain in force in Maguindanao and nearby Sultan Kudarat province.

The lifting of martial law followed “accomplishments” by the police, military and the Justice Department in crippling the Ampatuan clan, he said.

He said 24 people, including clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr, have been charged with rebellion and 638 others have been referred to the Justice Department for investigation. Three others, including Ampatuan’s son, Andal Jr, have been charged with multiple counts of murder.

The military reported hundreds of assorted firearms, including mortars and machine guns, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition have been seized in and near properties owned by the Ampatuans.