Duterte to ease jittery investors by ending Mindanao martial law

Move follows military recommendation amid sliding foreign investment

20191210 Philippines Duterte Muslim Rebels

President Duterte's decision paves the way for ramping up investment on the country's second-largest island, and was welcomed by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. © AP

CLIFF VENZON, Nikkei staff writer

December 10, 2019 19:53 JST

MANILA -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not extend martial law on the southern island of Mindanao, which has scared off investors since being imposed in 2017.

Martial law is set to expire on Dec. 31, having been declared after Islamic State-aligned militants laid siege to the city of Marawi in May 2017. The siege lasted five months, but Duterte previously asked Congress to extend martial law due to the region's volatile security.