Llamas ‘admonished’ over pirated DVDs

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? Almost everybody does it—buy pirated CDs—but it doesn’t look right seeing Presidential Adviser Ronald Llamas doing it in Quezon City Monday. DONA POLICAR/BANDERA

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has “formally admonished” Secretary Ronald Llamas in connection with his purchase of pirated DVDs recently.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr., by authority of President Benigno Aquino III, also warned Llamas of more severe sanctions if he commits another act of impropriety in the future.

In the dispositive portion of the issuance, Ochoa said that while Llamas’ act of buying bootlegged videos isn’t a criminal offense, “the impropriety is without question.”

Ochoa’s letter indicated that Llamas’ admission of his purchase of pirated DVDs and apology over the matter were also factors in Llamas’ getting only a slap on the wrist with an admonition.

The incident once again put Llamas on the spot, three months after he was forced to explain why he was keeping several firearms, including a semiautomatic assault rifle which was inadvertently exposed in public after two of his bodyguards figured in a road accident while Llamas was abroad.