The Philippines cannot “forever be the little brown brothers of America”, the country’s top diplomat has said, making it clear the country will not accept foreign criticism for a deadly crackdown on drugs. Speaking in Washington, foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay said that while his country still regards the US as a trusted ally, the Philippines wanted mutual respect. Americans used the term ‘little brown brothers’ to refer to native Filipinos during the era of US colonial rule that ended in 1946. “We will always view the United States as an esteemed and trusted ally.”Facebook Twitter Pinterest Perfecto Yasay speaks in Washington on Thursday. But he added: “You do not go to the Philippines and say, ‘I’m going to give you something, I’m going to help you develop and I’m going to help you grow but these are the checklists that you must comply with.

Source: The Guardian September 16, 2016 04:52 UTC