US: PHL still an ally despite Duterte’s ‘unhelpful comments’

The United States will continue to honor its commitments to the Philippines as an ally despite "unhelpful comments" made by President Rodrigo Duterte, the recent being his call for the pullout of US Special Forces in Mindanao.

In a news briefing, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said the Philippines has yet to make any official communication as regards the removal of US troops from Southern Philippines.

"I’ve seen the comments. I’ve seen them in press reporting, and what I can tell you is that we’re not aware of any official communication by the Philippine Government to that effect and to seek that result," Kirby said.

"So we’re going to stay in touch with our counterparts in the Philippine Government. More critically, we’re going to remain committed to our alliance commitments in the Philippines and to that country," he added.

The Philippines and the US are treaty allies, having signed a mutual defense treaty in 1951 and a visiting forces agreement in 1998.

An executive agreement providing for increased rotational presence of US troops in the Philippines was signed in 2014.

It also provided for the use of Philippine military facilities by US forces.

"We have a long, productive history with the Philippines. I understand that it’s not a history without its past troubles, but we’re committed to our alliance with the Philippines, and we look forward to working our way through that," Kirby said. —NB/JST, GMA News