Latest Llamas boo-boo not top of Aquino’s priorities
STA. ELENA, Iligan City, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III will ask his political adviser Ronald Llamas for an explanation regarding an INQUIRER report that he was seen purchasing pirated DVDs in a Quezon City mall.
Still, even if an explanation was being expected from Llamas, the President made it clear that the latest controversy his political adviser was embroiled in was not on top of his priorities.
Mr. Aquino, who was here Wednesday to launch the government’s housing program for victims of Tropical Storm “Sendong,” said he would first ask Llamas what he was doing at the Circle C mall in Congressional Avenue in Quezon City Monday night.
“Because the picture I saw in the Inquirer showed that it seemed he was just passing by. I really do not know if these were DVDs—or I assume they are DVDs,” Mr. Aquino told reporters here in Filipino.
He was referring to the photo that accompanied the article on the front page of the INQUIRER’s Wednesday issue showing Llamas browsing through bootleg DVDs for sale.
Mr. Aquino maintained the need for due process for Llamas, known to be one of the President’s shooting buddies and who only three months ago figured in a controversy when a high-power assault rifle was discovered inside his SUV that was taken for joyride by one of his aides.
“Ask him questions first. This is the accusation against you, what is your answer? From there, we will go to what is in the rules, regulations and laws but there is a process that one has to go through,” Mr. Aquino said.
The President sounded somewhat apologetic while pointing out that the latest problem to hound Llamas was “not my number one priority.”
He said that his government needed to pay more attention to recent events such as Monday’s explosion in Makati City, the massacre of fishermen in Zamboanga, and the situation of overseas Filipino workers in strife-torn Iran.
“You know that we have so many problems. That DVD (issue) is kind of low on our priorities,” Mr. Aquino said.
The Palace, meanwhile, said it would rather have Llamas do the talking.
“We would rather let Secretary Llamas explain his situation,” Edwin Lacierda, spokesperson of the President, said in a text message.
The INQUIRER tried to call Llamas for comment but his phone was apparently turned off.
INQUIRER Bandera associate editor Dona Policar in her report published Wednesday said she witnessed Llamas buying what turned out to be P2,000 worth of pirated DVDs in one of the stalls in the mall on Monday night.
Llamas was accompanied by his two barong-clad bodyguards when he made the purchase of the illegal merchandise, raising questions on his actions which clearly conflicts with the government’s anti-piracy drive.
