Presidential adviser sacks 2 staff members in car mishap

Presidential adviser for political affairs Ronald Llamas has dismissed his two staff members who figured in a car accident last Friday, October 7, along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. The two — Joey Valderama Tecson and John Brilliant Alarcon — were accused of using Llamas’ vehicle for their own personal purposes. Llamas is currently in Geneva, Switzerland, attending an executive committee meeting of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). In a statement, the Office of the Political Adviser said it “deeply regrets this unfortunate incident and has already initiated the process to effect the immediate dismissal from the service of these two staff members." It said Tecson and Alarcon were instructed to use the vehicle to go to Llamas’ house and ensure it was secure in his absence. The two, however, used the vehicle for their own personal purposes without authorization and against explicit office policies. Firearm OPA also said the firearm seen in the video footage taken at the scene of the accident is duly registered with the appropriate authorities in the name of Llamas, and is covered by a valid firearms license. “The firearm is kept for his (Llamas) personal security," the OPA said. It added: “Llamas gave explicit instructions before departing for abroad that the firearm be unloaded from the vehicle and safely secured, but apparently, the two staff members neglected to comply with these instructions." The Malacañang agency explained that in the immediate aftermath of the accident, a text message was sent by Alarcon to the security detail of Llamas, informing them of what had occurred. Following protocol, the security detail rushed to the scene of the accident and secured the contents of the vehicle, which, apart from the firearm, included some personal belongings of Llamas. “This was done to prevent the loss of the firearm and other items, particularly since bystanders had already gathered at the scene and had unrestricted access to the vehicle," OPA said. — KBK, GMA News