Duterte unlikely to lift martial law in Marawi before yearend, warns of spillover

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is unlikely to lift martial law in Mindanao before the end of 2017 because of a possible spillover of violence brought about by the fighting in Marawi City to other parts of the region.

In his speech during the 11th founding anniversary celebration of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) in Davao City on Friday, the President said he wanted the conflict to be over soon but his decision on whether or not to prolong martial law in Mindanao would depend on what the forces on the ground tell him.