PHILIPPINES President Rodrigo Duterte said today martial law in the southern region of Mindanao could last a year, as he vowed it would be similar to the late Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship.

“If it would take a year to do it, if it’s over within a month, then I’d be happy,” Duterte said in a video posted online by the government.

Addressing “our fellow Filipinos”, Duterte told them they had experienced martial law during the two-decade Marcos presidency, which ended with a “People Power” revolution in 1986.

“It could not be any different from what President Marcos did,” he said in the video, which was recorded just before cutting short a visit to Russia and flying back to the Philippines.

Duterte vowed to be “harsh” in dealing with terrorism, telling Filipinos this was one of his election campaign promises last year.

“What I told everyone, do not force my hand into it. I have to do it to preserve the Republic of the Philippines, the Filipino people,” he said.

Duterte last night placed all of the southern region of Mindanao, which makes up roughly one third of the country and is home to 20 million people, under martial law, following deadly clashes between security forces and Islamist militants.

The constitution only allows martial law for 60 days in the event of rebellion or invasion.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella initially said martial law in Mindanao would last for 60 days.

However, Duterte, who has caused controversy with a war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives, has repeatedly threatened throughout his presidency that he is willing to ignore the constitution if he needs to enforce martial law. – AFP, May 24, 2017.