MANILA -- The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in the country's southern islands, backing the government's drive to quell local terrorists aligned with the Islamic State group.
The court dismissed petitions filed by opposition lawmakers, leftist activists and a group of women from the conflict-torn city of Marawi, which had questioned Duterte's decision to place Mindanao under military rule, a court spokesman said. The details of the ruling were not immediately disclosed.
