Philippines to continue martial law amid IS fear

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked the nation’s congress to extend martial law he declared in the country’s south by a year to guarantee the “total eradication” of pro-islamic State group extremists.

Mr Duterte warned that more uprisings were planned after an unsuccessful but disastrous siege of Marawi city as he issued the request yesterday.

He said the remaining militants still hoped to establish a caliphate in the Philippines and southeast Asia after government forces killed more than 900 fighters and quelled the five-month Marawi siege in October.

Left-wing and prodemocracy groups have protested the imposition of martial law because of human rights concerns, but the supreme court has upheld its legality.

In a letter to the nation’s senate, Mr Duterte said extending martial law in the southern Mindanao region through to the end of next year would allow government forces to press offensives against other armed groups.