Last Wednesday, the Philippines lost out to Kyrgyzstan in its bid to secure the sole Asia-Pacific Group seat on the United Nations Security Council.

It is widely presumed that the perceived diplomatic proximity of the Philippine government to the United States and the Trump administration was the main reason for the defeat. 

In this exclusive interview, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Tess Lazaro talks about the bilateral relationship and about how Manila is reframing it as Washington reshapes its alliances around national interests and away from values.