Philippine massacre masterminds jailed for life over 57 murders

Relatives of the victims of the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre in the southern Philippines arrive at a police headquarters for the promulgation of the case in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, December 19, 2019. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine court found the bosses of an influential political clan guilty on Thursday of masterminding a 2009 massacre of 57 people, a ruling cheered as a partial victory for justice and a challenge to the country's notorious culture of impunity.

Eight members of the powerful Ampatuan family were among 28 people sentenced to life imprisonment over their roles in a ambush on an election motorcade in Maguindanao province, and the gunning-down of all who witnessed it.