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| President Rodrigo Duterte |
MANILA, Philippines (2nd update, 1:02 p.m.) — President Rodrigo Duterte will be asking Congress to prolong the effectivity of martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year.
Ernesto Abella, Duterte's spokesperson, suggested on Tuesday that both the Department of National Defense and the Philippine National Police recommended the extension of martial law on the country's second southern island amid the continuing fighting between government forces and Islamic State sympathizers in Marawi City.
The two security agencies "have come to the conclusion that the existing rebellion in Mindanao... cannot be quelled completely by July 22nd, 2017," Abella said at a news briefing at Malacañan on Tuesday, reading Duterte's letter to Congress.
"For this reason, because public safety requires it, I call upon the Congress to extend until 31st of Dec, 2017 or for such a period of time that Congress may determine the proclamation of martial law and the suspension of privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao," he continued.
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