Introduction:

Last May 23, 2017 Members of Islamic State-inspired Maute group clashed with
government forces and raised a black flag with an ISIS logo in front of the Amai Pakpak
Hospital. Local priest Fr. Chito Soganub and other civilians were taken hostage by the group. In
response, President Rodrigo Duterte, who was in Russia at the time, placed the entire island of
Mindanao under martial law.1 The government forces were about to enforce a warrant of arrest
against an international terrorist named Isnilon hapilon. The entire Marawi City only got
liberated from terrorist after 4 months of battle. On October 17, 2017, President Duterte
announced the liberation of Marawi City from terrorist clutches, more than 4 months since the
crisis began. Duterte’s announcement comes a day after terror leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar
Maute were killed by government troops in a military assault. A task force for the rehabilitation
of Marawi has been ordered created by the President with an initial allocation of P20 billion. The
government has estimated the rebuilding of the city to take around 2 to 3 years. 2 Because of the
armed conflict in Mindanao, as of December 2017, 75.33 percent (266,615 individuals) of the
353,921 displaced at the height of the Marawi conflict remain displaced while 24.67 percent of
this number or 87,306 individuals have returned to Marawi City, although Protection Cluster
members have reported that some IDPs who returned recently to Marawi City had to move back
to displacement sites either due to safety and security reasons or the absence of basic facilities in
their place of origin.3 My paper will discuss 3 main issues:

1. w/n International Humanitarian Law can be applied in internal conflicts, such

as the one in Marawi City?
2. w/n the laws of war and the principles of international humanitarian law
followed with respect to our government’s response?
3. w/n the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) resulting from the
Marawi siege be protected and guaranteed under international law, including
treaties and agreements?

1
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/17/17/timeline-the-battle-for-marawi
2
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/17/17/timeline-the-battle-for-marawi
3
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2017/05/31/176920-internally-displaced-persons-
marawi-conflict-544860
Issue Number 1: Applicability of International Humanitarian Law during internal conflicts