Firearm was for my protection–Llamas

The AK-47 rifle found inside his vehicle was for his protection, said Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas, revealing that there were threats to his life.

However, a statement from Llamas’ office said the two security aides who were driving the car when it hit a truck along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City had taken the vehicle with the firearm in it without his authorization, and were now facing dismissal.

In a phone interview from Geneva, Switzerland, where he is attending a conference, Llamas said he was informed about the accident involving his car and the two security aides—driver Joey Valderamma Tecson and John Brilliant Alarcon.

He said the firearm seen in his vehicle was a security precaution after police were called in to investigate “casings” of his residence by unidentified men last May.

“I don’t know where the threat is coming from but I have been involved in many controversial issues—from the impeachment (of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) to the postponement of the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” said Llamas, who is expected back home today after attending an executive committee meeting of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda had  disclosed the death threats against Llamas when he was interviewed Sunday over state radio dzRB.

“My understanding is he occupies a very sensitive position and, yes, there were threats to his life even prior (to the car accident) so I think he is entitled to security,” Lacierda said.