MALACAÑANG on Thursday played down critical comments aired by the British ambassador who was reported to have said he found “unacceptable” the slow pace of House deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro basic law (BBL) owing to lack of quorum.
Asked if British Ambassador Asif Ahmad’s action criticizing Filipino lawmakers was, in turn, acceptable to the Aquino administration, Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. indicated that the Palace does not see it as meddling in the host country’s legislative process.
“He [Ahmad] may have been expressing a personal observation on a matter of significance to his country on account of their robust support for the peace process,” Coloma said.
Ahmad told reporters earlier “it is noticeable that many members of Congress are not showing up, which, in my view, is unacceptable.”
The envoy expressed disappointment over reports noting the failure of the House leadership to muster a quorum during its regular session to speed up approval of the BBL, which proposes to replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a new entity, as part of a recent peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
To drive home his point, Ahmad cited in comparison the British parliamentary procedures as against the House of Representative’s BBL deliberations.
He noted that “in the United Kingdom, either you agree or oppose something,” noting that “it is your duty as an elected official to debate and vote.”
Ahmad added: “But to hide under a stone is not doing the job that you are elected to do,” apparently referring to absentee members of the House of Representatives.
President Aquino has been pressing the Congress to pass the BBL that he believes will solve the separatist insurgency being waged by the MILF.
However, both houses of Congress decided to change the draft bill submitted by Malacañang.
Resistance to the bill strengthened early this year in the wake of the Mamasapano Massacre that saw the killing of 44 National Police Special Action Force troopers by MILF gunmen.
The commandos were withdrawing after killing a wanted terrorist bomber when they were ambushed by MILF fighters and other gunmen who joined the fray.
The incident prompted separate investigations in both houses of Congress.