US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US has been providing the Philippines with surveillance capabilities, training, information and aircraft to help it fight pro-ISIS forces who have attacked a city in the southern part of the country.
Nevertheless, Tillerson emphasized that there was no contradiction between this aid and concerns over human rights violations perpetrated by the country. “I see no conflict – no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation and our views of the human rights concerns we have with respect to how they carry out their counter narcotics activities,” he said.
Tillerson, who is participating in a regional summit in Manilla, said the words ahead of his meeting today with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.