P-Noy stands by Llamas anew

MANILA, Philippines - For the third time since the AK-47 and pirated DVD incidents, President Aquino stood by his political affairs adviser Ronald Llamas, this time on Chief Justice Renato Corona’s accusations that the administration is being held hostage by communists.

“Ronald might say that I have forgotten him. You know there’s someone who is criticizing your party, saying you are communists. I said, “No, I think they are socialists,” Aquino said during yesterday’s 5th Regular Congress of Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party at the PICC.

The remark was in obvious reference to insinuations that Akbayan was running the government.

Llamas, along with former congresswoman Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, who lost her senatorial bid in the May 2010 elections, belongs to the Akbayan party-list group of which Marcos critic and Commission on Human Rights head Etta Rosales is founding chair.

Aquino, who likes to crack jokes especially among close friends, also teased Llamas about how he used to be marching in street protests wearing long sleeved shirts, even during police dispersals, in contrast to the business suits that he wears now.

“While you were marching and being dispersed, he was wearing long sleeves. Now he’s wearing business suits. So I think Ronald is now a socialist, I think Ronald has become sosyal (classy),” Aquino said.

Nonetheless, the President thanked the political party for its support to his administration, particularly the reforms he initiated in all fronts of his governance, where transparency and accountability are being observed.

In response to Corona’s charges, Llamas earlier hinted the Chief Justice may have been desperate when he dragged his name into the impeachment trial, knowing fully well that the odds were not in his favor.

“Corona is just looking for someone else to blame. What he refuses to accept is that he stands on the brink of conviction, and possibly further prosecution, because of his own actions,” Llamas said.

It was unfortunate that insinuations of conspiracy had cropped up, he said.

“While I suppose I should be flattered that he attributed so much influence to me, which is so untrue, the obvious motivation behind the statement is to once again attribute the dire straits he finds himself in to a supposed conspiracy,” Llamas said.

Last year, Llamas’ bodyguards were caught with an AK-47 tucked under a car seat. A few months later, he was seen buying pirated DVDs.