The international community continued to denounce the brutal killings in Maguindanao last Monday, with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) urging the Philippine government to probe into the “monstrous” attack and punish the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

UNESCO director general Irina Bokova, in a statement, said the “monstrous crime must not go unpunished.”

UNESCO is an agency of the United Nations tasked with defending press freedom.

"I condemn this outrage and urge the Government of the Philippines to act swiftly, using all the resources at its disposal to bring the perpetrators to justice,” she said. "The barbaric killings of the people in the convoy – journalists and citizens alike – were clearly an attack against democracy and democratic processes.”

“Furthermore, the killing of journalists violates the rights of the Philippine people to be freely and fairly informed of political developments," she added.