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U.S., Philippines jointly patrol Sulu Sea for piracy

By Danielle Haynes
Sailors assigned to littoral combat ship USS Coronado drive a rigid-hull inflatable boat to Philippine navy ship Ramon Alcaraz for personnel transfer on Tuesday. The U.S. and Philippine navies conducted a coordinated counter-piracy patrol to protect maritime commerce and enhance maritime security in the region by enhancing both navies' ability to respond to transnational criminal and terror activity. Photo Courtesy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Deven Leigh Ellis/U.S. Navy
Sailors assigned to littoral combat ship USS Coronado drive a rigid-hull inflatable boat to Philippine navy ship Ramon Alcaraz for personnel transfer on Tuesday. The U.S. and Philippine navies conducted a coordinated counter-piracy patrol to protect maritime commerce and enhance maritime security in the region by enhancing both navies' ability to respond to transnational criminal and terror activity. Photo Courtesy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Deven Leigh Ellis/U.S. Navy

July 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. and Philippine navies on Saturday conducted a joint patrol in the Sulu Sea to combat piracy and other maritime crime, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said.

The USS Coronado coordinated with the Philippine Del Pilar Class Frigate Ramon Alcaraz at the invitation of the Manila government.

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Prior to the patrol, the Coronado took part in training with the Philippine navy near Cebu to sharpen tactical skills, the Embassy said.

The Sulu Sea stretches between the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, and has a history of kidnapping and crime by Islamist extremists. In September, 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed an agreement to work closely together to combat crime in the open waters.

In January, Duterte said he would be "glad" if China sent ships to help protect trade routes in Southeast Asia from the threat of terrorism and piracy, particularly in the Malacca Strait and the Sulu Sea. He said if trade routes become more dangerous or are blocked, international trade routes could shift, making it more expensive to ship goods.

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After his election in 2016, Duterte had strong words for then-President Barack Obama and indicated he wanted to scale back his country's alliance with the United States. After the November election of Donald Trump, though, Duterte said he thought he'd have a better relationship with the new U.S. president and wanted to continue with planned military exercises in 2017.

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