{"id":338583,"date":"2017-07-22T18:25:34","date_gmt":"2017-07-22T18:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=338583"},"modified":"2017-07-22T18:25:34","modified_gmt":"2017-07-22T18:25:34","slug":"philippines-duterte-martial-law-extended-in-mindanao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/07\/philippines-duterte-martial-law-extended-in-mindanao\/","title":{"rendered":"Philippines Duterte: Martial law extended in Mindanao"},"content":{"rendered":"
Legislators in the Philippines have voted overwhelmingly to extend martial law to deal with an Islamist insurgency in the restive island of Mindanao.<\/p>\n
Militants linked to so-called Islamic State have been occupying parts of Marawi, a city in the south, since May.<\/p>\n
President Rodrigo Duterte said the extension was necessary to crush the insurgency, but his critics say it is part of a wider power grab.<\/p>\n
Mindanao is home to a number of Muslim rebel groups seeking more autonomy.<\/p>\n
Martial law allows the use of the military to enforce law and the detention of people without charge for long periods.<\/p>\n
It is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, where martial law was imposed by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos for much of his rule.<\/p>\n