When the battle gets tough in the Philippines, who do you call?

(June 10): US special forces are assisting Philippine troops in their operations against Islamic militants in the southern city of Marawi, the US embassy in Manila said.

The assistance was offered at the request of the Philippine government to help its military commanders, according to an emailed statement that didn’t give details of the support. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, didn’t respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.

“We routinely consult with our Filipino partners at senior levels to support the Duterte administration’s counterterrorism efforts,” the embassy said in its statement. “The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines, and we will continue to work with the Philippines to address shared threats to the peace and security of our countries, including on counterterrorism issues.”

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