MANILA
(Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asked Congress to
extend martial law on the southern island of Mindanao until the end of the
year, to grant him time to crush a rebel movement inspired by the Islamic State
group.
The region
of 22 million people, which has a history of separatist and Marxist rebellion,
was placed under military rule on May 23 after rebels from the Maute and
Abu
Sayyaf groups took over parts of Marawi City, plunging the Philippines into its
biggest security crisis in years.
Insurgents
have put up fierce resistance, with scores of mostly young fighters still holed
up in central Marawi through 57 days of ground offensives, air strikes and
artillery bombardments, prolonging a battle the authorities say has killed 413
militants, 98 security forces and 45 civilians.
"The
primary objective of the possible extension is to allow our forces to continue
with their operations unhampered by deadlines and to focus more on the
liberation of Marawi and its rehabilitation and rebuilding," said
presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, reading a letter signed by Duterte.
A hardcore
of gunmen were on Tuesday clinging on to positions in a deserted commercial
heart, which has been reduced to rubble by a bombing campaign that has angered
residents with no homes or businesses to return to.
Duterte has
appointed a taskforce to rebuild Marawi, with a 20 billion peso ($394.81
million) budget.
The brazen
assault by organized, heavily armed militants who have pledged allegiance to
Islamic State has fanned fears that extremists may have radicalized and
recruited more fighters than was previously thought.
The Marawi
siege is the fourth battle between the Maute clan and the military over the
past nine months and the country's defense minister, Delfin Lorenzana, has
admitted the combat and planning capability of the enemy has been
underestimated.
Duterte has
long warned that Mindanao faced contamination by Islamic State, and experts say
Muslim parts of the predominantly Catholic southern Philippines are fertile
ground for expansion due to their history of marginalization and neglect.
While few
dispute that Duterte has a serious problem on his hands, his critics have
derided his declaration of martial law across all of Mindanao, an area the size
of South Korea.
Martial law
allows for deeper surveillance and arrests without warrant, giving security
forces a freer rein to go after suspected extremist financiers and
facilitators.
According to
several senate and congress leaders who dined with the president on Monday
evening, Duterte had told them he wanted martial law for another 60 days.
In the case
of continuing martial law beyond the initial 60-day limit, the constitution
does not restrict how long it can be extended, although Congress can challenge
it.
Reuters
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