Catholic bishops in the southern Philippines cautiously supported the declaration of martial law in Mindanao following an attempt by a band of gunmen claiming to be Islamic militants to seize a city in the region.
"At present we simply do not have solid and sufficient facts to absolutely reject the declaration of martial law as morally reprehensible," the bishops' said in a statement released on May 29.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial across the southern part of the country after gunmen claiming to have links with ISIS stormed Marawi on May 23.
