Philippines’ Duterte asks congress for more troops

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked lawmakers to approve the recruiting of 20,000 more soldiers to tackle increased security threats following a bloody urban siege in the south, his spokesman says.

Almost 700 people have been killed, according to the official count, in over two months of fighting in the southern city of Marawi against extremist militants who have pledged allegiance to Daesh.

The militants, waving the black Daesh flag, have occupied parts of Marawi since May 23, prompting Duterte to declare martial law in the entire southern region of Mindanao.

"The request of the president for additional 20,000 troops is part of our intensified security posture to guard areas in the country where there are continuing security threats," spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

"The deployment of troops to Marawi and other points in Mindanao needs to be rebalanced to ensure maximum effectiveness," he added.

The Philippine military numbers about 125,000 and faces numerous threats including the Daesh-inspired militants in Mindanao, communist guerrillas scattered all over the archipelago and territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

SS