Lawmakers approve martial rule extension for S. Philippines

The Philippine Congress on Wednesday granted President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to extend martial law in the country’s south until the end of 2019. The decision comes despite opposition warnings of a creep towards authoritarian rule. Duterte initially put the Mindanao region under military rule after gunmen flying the black Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) flag attacked the mainly Muslim city of Marawi in May 2017. The attack sparked a five-month battle that killed 1,200 people, AFP said. Last week, the president said that while “significant progress” had been made, more time was needed to stop armed militants making a comeback.