Palace defends 'light' penalty on Llamas over DVD issue

Malacañang defended Sunday the “light” penalty given to presidential political affairs adviser Ronald Llamas over his purchase of pirated video discs at a Quezon City mall last month.   Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also belied speculations that the Palace downgraded initial recommendations that Llamas be suspended for the deed.   “Ni-review ng OES (Office of Executive Secretary) ang pangyayari, nagkaroon ng investigation sa insidenteng kinasangkutan ni Sec. Llamas. In light of the fact na inappropriate ang behavior pero walang offense na na-commit, at dahil sa pag-apologize ni Sec. Llamas ang naging determination ‘yan ang proper sanction,” she said on government-run dzRB radio.   On Saturday, Malacañang disclosed that Llamas was “admonished” after a newspaper editor chanced on him buying pirated DVDs at a mall in Quezon City.   Valte said Llamas was also advised to “act at all times” with a high sense of propriety to prevent his personal conduct from leading to a loss of public trust in the administration.   But Valte denied speculations the sanction on Llamas was downgraded.   “Walang katotohanan downgraded ang sinasabing suspension ang recommendation tapos downgraded to admonition,” she said.   Llamas is perceived to be close to Aquino because the two share a fondness for guns.   Last year, a high-powered firearm was found in his SUV when it figured in a road accident in Quezon City. Llamas was abroad at the time. — KBK, GMA News