Hours after Press Secretary Cerge Remonde denied that martial had been declared over Maguindanao, his office advised journalists of a media briefing at 7:00 in the morning on Saturday to be conducted by the country’s highest state security officials.

ABS-CBN broke the news Friday night on President Arroyo’s order placing Maguindanao under martial law. Remonde however denied the report on rival GMA7 Network.

The media advisory, sent to journalists via text messages, said that Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff and the chief of the Philippine National Police will conduct the briefing.

Despite Remonde’s denial of its report, ABS-CBN has not put down its report and in fact updated it an hours after Remonde was quoted in GMA7 Network’s newscast.

Another media outfit, the Manila Bulletin, published a story that appears to confirm the ABS-CBN report.

Read the earlier reports below: