Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Wednesday to impose martial law nationwide to combat the rising threat of terrorism, after Islamist militants beheaded a policeman and took Catholic hostages while rampaging through a southern city.
Duterte declared martial law on Tuesday for the southern region of Mindanao -- which makes up roughly one third of the country and is home to 20 million people -- in an immediate response to the attacks by the gunmen, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Government troops check a vehicle evacuating residents from their hometown of Marawi City in the southern Philippines on May 24, 2017. /VCG Photo
The roughly 100 militants roamed through Marawi City, killing five soldiers, taking a priest and an unspecified number of other people hostage from a church, setting fire to buildings and flying black IS flags, according to Duterte and his aides.
Duterte said they also beheaded a local police chief after capturing him at a road checkpoint they had set up, as he expressed outrage at what he called the growing threat from militants allied to IS in Mindanao.
"I will not hesitate to do anything and everything to protect and preserve the Filipino nation," the president said. "I might declare martial law throughout the country to protect the people."
(Source: AFP)
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