Manila: The House of Representatives got a welcome break from intense deliberations over the National Budget on Friday after a young lawmaker surprised everyone by momentarily taking the floor to propose marriage to his girlfriend.
House members were in the middle of intense arguments for the 2014 General Appropriations Bill and were exhausted from the heated exchanges among themselves when Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedillo of the Magdalo Partylist suddenly asked permission from House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to say something to the body.
“I only propose to ask one question Mr. Speaker with your indulgence?” reports quoted Asedillo as asking.
After Belmonte acceded to Acedillo’s request that he take the floor, a large screen inside the session hall flashed a photograph of a woman with text running below containing the words “Please say yes”.
The woman, who was also present during those session as a spectator was Maria Paz Victoria Ocampo, a law student from the University of the Philippines and Acedillo had asked for her hand in front of some 400 people present.
The surprised bride was escorted by several young lawmakers to the plenary where she met up with Acedillo.
Acedillo asked Ocampo: “Please be my wife.”
To this, the woman replied: “Yes.”
“Please put it on record,” Acedillo jokingly asked the House secretary.
Acedillo was an air force lieutenant when he took part in the failed Oakwood Mutiny in Makati City in 2003.
He was detained for five years along with the rest of the mutineers and was discharged from military service.
Several years after, he and other former military officers formed the Magdalo Partylist to bring to the parliamentary forum their struggle for reforms in the military.
