British state minister hails Aquino on resolving Zamboanga crisis

Hugo Swire, British Minister. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—British Minister of State Hugo Swire lauded President Benigno Aquino III for the “restraint he showed” in handling the recent hostilities in Zamboanga City.

Swire, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario, expressed the admiration of the government of United Kingdom of how Aquino managed to pacify the clash between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the government troops.

The standoff, which lasted for almost a month, displaced some 100,000 civilians in Zamboanga.

Del Rosario met the UK minister on Sunday at the sidelines of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York.

He “asked to meet” the Philippine envoy to the US and extended the UK government’s “best wishes to the President.”

In December last year, Swire visited the country to “boost the fast growing bilateral ties” of the British government with the Philippines.

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