Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte says he “never asked” the United States for help in battling and ISIS insurgency in Marawi City, adding that he was unaware that U.S. forces were providing technical support. “I am not aware of that until they arrived,” Duterte told reporters. The Philippines military previously said the U.S. was aiding, but with no boots on the ground. “We don’t have adequate surveillance equipment, so we asked the U.S. military for assistance. It’s noncombat assistance,” a military spokesman told the AP.
