Philippines: President Duterte declares on Mindanao island
Philippines: President Duterte declares on Mindanao island: According to officials the ensuing violence had resulted in the death of three security forces personal on the southern island. Mindanao is the centre point of to a number of Muslim rebel groups seeking more autonomy. President Duterte has made the announcement in a visit to Russia. The President was forced to cut his Russian visit short.
Enforcing the Martial law will allow the use of the military to enforce law along with the ability to detain people without charge for long periods.
During his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Duterte also said the Philippines needed more modern weapons to fight IS militants and other militant groups.
The violence had erupted in Marawi which is a city of about 200,000 people in Mindanao. According to the military, the violence had erupted on Tuesday 23rd, May, 2017, as the army searched for the leader of a militant group which had pledged its allegiance to IS.
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had identified the militants as being members of the Maute group. He further added that the militant group had occupied a hospital and a jail, and burnt down buildings including a church.
According to the Philippine constitution a president can only declare martial law for 60 days to stop an invasion or a rebellion. The Parliament can revoke the measure within 48 hours of the orders while the Supreme Court can review its legality.
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