Duterte to lift martial law in southern Philippines as security forces lower terror threat

Duterte will not further extend martial law, which expires at the end of the year, after advisers said the ‘terrorist and extremist rebellion’ has been weakened

The president had placed the Mindanao region under martial law after local militants aligned with Islamic State staged a siege in Marawi city in May 2017

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Dilapidated structures seen at the most affected war-torn area of Marawi City on May 11, 2019. File photo: Reuters

Published: 4:30am, 11 Dec 2019Updated: 7:04am, 11 Dec 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to end more than two years of martial law in the south of Philippines after government forces weakened Islamic militant groups there with the capture and killing of their leaders, his spokesman said.

Duterte placed the Mindanao region under martial law after hundreds of local militants aligned with Islamic State and backed by foreign fighters occupied buildings, a commercial district and communities in Marawi city starting May 23, 2017, in the worst security crisis Duterte has faced.

Troops quelled the disastrous siege after five months of intense air strikes and ground offensives with the help of US and Australian surveillance aircraft.

The Philippine Congress approved an extension of martial law in Mindanao three times after Duterte warned that militants continued to recruit fighters and plot attacks.

Duterte decided not to further extend martial law, which expires at the end of the year, after his defence and security advisers provided an assessment that “the terrorist and extremist rebellion” has been weakened with the losses of the militants’ leaders and a drop in crime in the region, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said on Tuesday.

“The [presidential] palace is confident on the capability of our security forces in maintaining the peace and security of Mindanao without extending martial law,” Panelo said in a statement. “The people of Mindanao are assured that any incipient major threat in the region would be nipped in the bud.”