Philippine officials say US ties remain close despite Duterte's outbursts

Manila

THE Philippines assured the United States on Tuesday it will honour its obligations as a military ally following volleys of profane tirades by unpredictable President Rodrigo Duterte.

After calling US leader Barack Obama a "son of a whore" last week, Mr Duterte said he was "not a fan" of Washington and on Monday called for the small number of US military advisers to leave the southern Philippines.

On Tuesday, Mr Duterte also said Filipino forces would not participate in future joint patrols with the US i…