Just as in Iraq & Syria, now 200,000 Filipinos have fled as Islamic State militants swept through the southern Philippine City of Marawi, raising the black flag of ISIS, beheading the police chief, burning buildings, and seizing a Catholic priest and his worshippers.
Media has showed people crammed inside and on top of public vehicles leaving the area, and some walking on foot with their belongings as they passed through security checkpoints manned by soldiers.
A Singapore-based security expert said the siege was a wake-up call for the Philippines with Islamic State capturing a major city that is a very significant blow to the security and stability of the region.
As details of the attack in Marawi city emerge, fears mount that the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia could be falling into a growing list of countries grappling with the spread of influence from the Islamic State from its base of operations in Syria and Iraq.