23 May 2017•Update: 24 May 2017
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire southern region of Mindanao under martial law for 60 days after heavy clashes broke out on Tuesday afternoon between government forces and Daesh-linked terrorists in Marawi City.
The clash in central Mindanao left a policeman dead and five soldiers wounded.
Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella as announcing in Moscow that Duterte had declared a martial law in the whole region in southern Philippines as of 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) Tuesday.
"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,” Abella was quoted further as saying.
President Duterte is in a five-day visit to Russia and was briefed about the situation in Marawi, prompting to postpone his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Duterte had warned earlier he might declare martial law if the situation in Mindanao deteriorates, and use it to solve all its problems.
Tuesday's heavy clashes in Marawi City broke out after troops conducting law enforcement operations in the village of Basak at around 2 p.m. (0600 GMT) were met with gunfire by suspected groups of Abu Sayyaf and Maute group.
In a statement, Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said as of 9:00 p.m. (1300 GMT), sporadic firefights continued to occur in the city of Marawi; a policeman was killed and five soldiers were wounded.
Government forces engaged in a firefight with about 15 armed men, Petinglay added.
