Duterte declares Martial Law in Mindanao due to ISIS threat

President Rodrigo Duterte declares martial law in Mindanao while he is in Russia on May 23, 2017.

President Duterte put the whole island of Mindanao under martial law as of 10 pm of May 23, following violent clashes between government troops and members of the Maute group in Marawi.

The martial law declaration for the island lasts for 60 days, according to presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella.

"The hardest thing to deal with would be the arrival of ISIS in our country and it has come to pass, that there is really war going on," Duterte said in a press briefing upon his arrival from Russia, where he had an official trip.

"Government must put an end to this. I cannot gamble with ISIS because they are everywhere and you know what is happening or you must be very aware of what is happening in the Middle East," he added.

Deputy Executive Sec. Menardo Guevarra has clarified that this is possible on the grounds of existence of rebellion because of what is happening in Mindanao based on Article 7, Section 18 of the Constitution. This is good for 60 days,” said Abella.

Duterte on Wednesday morning said he will be "harsh" in implementing martial law, which he said "will not be any different" from the military rule under dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The President had earlier warned about martial law in Mindanao. The last time he raised this prospect was on May 19, or 4 days before he declared martial law in the southern Philippines.

His meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will be postponed, but a phone call before Mr. Duterte and Putin is being planned, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the whole island of Mindanao was put under martial law even if the clashes were only in Marawi because there are also problems in other parts of the island.

Clashes in Marawi City began on Tuesday afternoon after the Philippine military launched a surgical strike against "high-value targets" belonging to the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Maute Group. Clashes with the Maute Group killed at least one policeman as of 8 pm.

Three government troops (2 soldiers and a police) were killed while 12 others were wounded in clashes with members of the IS-linked Abu Sayyaf and the Maute terror groups in Marawi City that started on Tuesday afternoon.

In a televised press briefing from Russia, Defense Secretary Lorenzana said they will send more troops from Manila and Zamboanga to Marawi City on Wednesday.