By Alexis Romero
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang disputed Wednesday British Ambassador Asif Ahmad’s claim that change has come in the Philippines but not in a good way.
Ahmad has expressed concerns over the alleged extrajudicial killings of suspected drug offenders in the country, something that he said has raised questions among investors.
“When I first arrived here, nobody was talking about the things we’re talking about today. We talked about PPP (public private partnerships) and if it’s going to happen. We talked about charter change, and how close are we to the Bangsamoro peace process. Things were really moving forward,” he said in an interview last Monday in his Forbes Park residence.
The envoy also expressed reservations over the plan to reinstate death penalty, saying it could deal a “severe blow” to the Philippines, a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and to the Second Optional Protocol of the ICCPR on the abolition of the death penalty.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Ahmad’s statement does not reflect the sentiment of common Filipinos.
Read the full story at PhilStar
Related Story: Rody’s ‘unsettling’ rhetoric driving away EU investors