President Duterte has declared martial law in the southern Filipino island of Mindanao, supposedly in response to the ongoing conflict by armed groups there. The spark was the offensive by the Maute group in the city of Marawi where many people were killed. The Filipino army response has led to many more deaths as fighting continues in the densely populated urban areas of Marawi. Pres Duterte announced in crude and sexist language that he will not hesitate to unleash mass killings on the scale of his ongoing War on Drugs campaign. Many labour and human rights activists fear that this is just the beginning of a more generalised climate of repression in the Philippines.
President Duterte has declared martial law in the southern Filipino island of Mindanao, supposedly in response to the ongoing conflict by armed groups there. The spark was the offensive by the Maute group in the city of Marawi where many people were killed. The Filipino army response has led to many more deaths as fighting continues in the densely populated urban areas of Marawi. Pres Duterte announced in crude and sexist language that he will not hesitate to unleash mass killings on the scale of his ongoing War on Drugs campaign. Many labour and human rights activists fear that this is just the beginning of a more generalised climate of repression in the Philippines.
