Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:
Oct. 25, 2017
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met Oct. 24 with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) that convened in Clark, the Philippines.
They discussed the strength of the U.S.-Philippines relationship and Secretary Mattis reaffirmed our ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Philippines Alliance.
Secretary Mattis and President Duterte exchanged views on the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific built on the foundations of a shared rules-based international order.
Secretary Mattis reaffirmed U.S. resolve to stand by its long-time ally in their fight against the spread of ISIS in Southeast Asia. Secretary Mattis also offered his condolences for the sacrifices and heavy price that Philippine security forces paid bringing the 5-month conflict to an end in Marawi. Their success could not have been achieved without the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), who went to extraordinary lengths to safeguard the lives of innocent civilians caught in the conflict or held hostage by ISIS militants.
The U.S. remains committed to enduring counterterrorism cooperation with the Philippines against this violent terrorist ideology to prevent its adherents from gaining a foothold elsewhere in the Philippines.