MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines declared a state of emergency in two southern provinces and in a nearby city on Tuesday, a day after at least 24 people were killed in election-related violence.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said she was declaring an indefinite emergency in the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat and in Cotabato City to "prevent and suppress the occurrence of several other incidents of lawless violence."

Gunmen abducted a group of people in Maguindanao on Monday who were going to file a nomination for a candidate to contest the provincial governor's post in next May's elections. At least 24 of them were later found dead.

(Reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Manny Mogato)