MARAWI CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim of around 100 fully-armed Islamic State-inspired militants being sighted in hinterlands of Buldon, Maguindanao had been verified, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said on Friday. Von Al Haq, the MILF spokesperson, told the Inquirer by phone they asked their men to immediately verify Duterte’s claim and it turned out positive. “They could be heading to Butig town because it’s just near Buldon or in Maguindanao,” Al Haq said. But if not, then we’ll just have to continue with the martial law,” he added. Congress extended on July 22 Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2017.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 01, 2017 13:30 UTC