The Philippines is firmly committed to its alliance with the United States but will not be lectured on human rights and treated like a "little brown brother," the country's Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said on Thursday. Yasay also said Duterte's opposition to joint maritime patrols with the United States concerned the Philippines' "exclusive economic zone," not joint patrols within 12 nautical miles of its coast. The Philippines and the United States share concerns about China's pursuit of broad claims in the South China Sea, which overlap with those of Manila and other neighbors. Yasay stressed that Duterte was "firmly committed to keep and respect alliances, including that with the United States." "We strongly urge the Philippines to ensure its law enforcement efforts comply with its human rights obligations," she said.

Source: Egypt Independent September 15, 2016 20:15 UTC