On May 23, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire region of Mindanao under martial law after Marawi City was stormed by heavily-armed homegrown militants who pledged allegiance to the dreaded Islamic State. Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Catalino Cuy on Thursday said continuing threats from terrorist groups prompted the Philippine National Police to recommend to the president a one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao. Meanwhile, a source in the AFP said field commanders were convinced of the need for maintaining martial law in Mindanao at least for one year to deprive terrorists of the chance to regroup. Martial law remains a sensitive issue in the Philippines after it was used by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s to perpetuate himself to power. Opponents feared Duterte might declare a nationwide martial law, but the authorities had repeatedly dismissed that.

Source: Philippine Star December 08, 2017 05:26 UTC