Malacañang admonishes Llamas for buying pirated DVDs

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang admonished Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas for buying pirated DVDs but he was spared of any harsher punishment.

Sources at the Palace said Llamas offered to resign after receiving a dressing down from President Aquino but the Chief Executive declined it.

The same sources said that the President told Llamas that while he had to deal with so many problems, the political adviser had to add to them.

Llamas said he was accepting the decision but would not want to comment further. He had apologized to the President and promised to act accordingly as a Palace official.

In a memorandum, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said “while strictly speaking, the act attributed to you, and which you admitted, is not a violation of the law, the impropriety of the action is without question.”

“ It is not an act expected from a public officer. However, taking into account your expression of ‘deep regret’ and your tender of an apology, you are hereby formally admonished and given a firm reminder that you should, in the future, observe a higher degree of circumspection and discretion even with regard to your private, non-official conduct,” Ochoa’s memorandum reads.

“As a public officer, you would be well-advised to act at all times with a high degree of prudence and propriety so as to avoid any possibility, however remote, that your personal conduct may inadvertently result in an erosion of the public’s faith and confidence in the administration,” Ochoa added.

Palace spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Llamas was also warned to be ready for a more severe punishment if a repeat of the incident would occur.

Llamas, who was photographed buying pirated DVDs at a mall in Quezon City two weeks ago, said he would follow the orders of the President regarding the matter.

Aquino said Llamas “still enjoys” his trust and confidence, saying the act of buying pirated DVDs had nothing to do with his function as a political adviser.

“He still performs the role that he was brought into the Cabinet for. So therefore he does enjoy the trust. It is not connected with his core function but, having said that, there (are) still... sanctions that should be levied,” the President said.