PM raised drug war with Duterte stand-in

Malcolm Turnbull has raised human rights concerns with the Philippines despite the country's President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to skip a special summit of Southeast Asian nations in Sydney.

The prime minister is hosting nine of the ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Mr Duterte opted to stay home to attend a military graduation ceremony.

Some analysts say it was a calculated move to avoid scrutiny and protests over his war on drugs which has killed 12,000 people.

Mr Turnbull had a bilateral meeting with the Philippines foreign secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

It's understood the pair had a frank and open discussion on human rights.

They also talked about Australian assistance to help quash a five-month-long Islamic State insurgency in Marawi, Philipppines.

Australia has helped train Filipino troops in urban combat and provided surveillance aircraft.