Duterte threatens to impose martial law on all of Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte warned Wednesday that he may declare martial law throughout the Philippines to deal with the threat of Islamist militancy, making the remarks one day after he imposed military rule on a southern island.

Duterte’s statement came after he cut short a trip to Russia on Tuesday night and announced he was placing the entire southern island of Mindanao under military control because of the growing insurgent threat there. The declaration came after Abu Sayyaf extremists backed by members of another insurgent group burned down buildings in the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi to prevent troops from arresting a top rebel commander.

On Wednesday, he raised the prospect that rebels inspired by the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, could gain a foothold in the north of the country.

“If I think that the ISIS has already taken foothold also in Luzon, and terrorism is not really far behind, I might declare martial law throughout the country to protect the people,” he said, referring to the country’s largest and most populous island.

“It is our constitutional duty to ensure that every family, every community, all Filipinos, are assured to live in peace and harmony,” he said, while pledging to the public that “there will be no abuses.”

The situation in the south became more tense Wednesday after the Roman Catholic Church said gunmen had taken a priest and several churchgoers hostage in Marawi.

Duterte sought to calm public fears, even as he compared his imposition of martial law to that of strongman Ferdinand Marcos, who subjected the entire country to martial law in the name of fighting communism.

“It would not be any different from what President Marcos did,” Duterte said in the video. “I’d be harsh.”

His spokesman said Tuesday night that martial law would last only 60 days, but Duterte said he was prepared to extend it to a year.

His statement came as government forces were trying to quell fighting in Marawi, a city of about 200,000 that has become a hotbed of Islamist militancy.

Sporadic violence continued Wednesday in Marawi, as insurgents burned down the Catholic church where the hostages were abducted and set fire to at least two other buildings. They also hoisted a black Islamic State flag in the area.

Bishop Edwin de la Peña said the gunmen were holding at least six people, including the priest. He said a man who identified himself as one of the gunmen called him and demanded that government troops stop their search for the rebel leader.