The Philippine Online Chronicles

President Noynoy Aquino announced during the 65th anniversary of the Liberal Party (LP) in Club Filipino, San Juan City last night that Akbayan president Ronald Llamas is the new presidential adviser for political affairs.

This marks a rare occasion wherein the adviser for political affairs is not a party-mate of the President, because the adviser usually ensures that political policies are in line with the party’s principles.

However, Akbayan is a coalition partner of the LP and Llamas has previously served as a key adviser for Aquino and his running mate during the 2010 elections former Senator Mar Roxas.

“[Llamas] has been with us for a while, he’s a long-time ally,” Aquino told reporters at the event.

Akbayan released a statement on their Facebook page congratulating Llamas. “From protest to governance!” it said. “Ready to fight! Ready to lead!”

In response, Llamas said that he,“plans to seriously pursue reforms and political projects of the president in order to change the system of corruption and poverty in our country.”

Aquino also took on the party’s chairmanship during Wednesday’s LP anniversary celebration. Roxas was re-elected as the party’s president. Senator Franklin Drilon was elected vice-chairman along with Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

“We are in government to make tough decisions that would lead to better service, and we are not here to make ourselves look good,” Aquino reminded the members of the LP. “It’s enough for me that I look good in the eyes of my mother.”

Together with Aquino winning the presidency, the LP has taken the place of Lakas-Kampi-CMD as the country’s ruling party.

“That's what we promised in the last campaign, and we will continue to implement the necessary reforms: Political will to carry out reforms, and integrity to bring about change and help improve the lives of our people,” he added. “In [an] LP administration, no one will be left behind, whether poor or rich, powerful or ordinary citizen.”

Aquino also responded to criticism over the possible role Roxas would play in the administration as a “chief troubleshooter.” Bishops Jose Colin Bagaforo of Cotabato City and Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel had previously spoken out that Roxas might be given a disproportionate amount of power in Malacanang.

“Well, they are assuming that he will have a lot of powers,” Aquino said in response. “At the end of the day, it is I who decides the appropriate action at least for the executive department.”

He added that Roxas would not necessarily act as his chief of staff, but would aid him in addressing “overlapping” problems besetting Cabinet secretaries and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.

“That is the way you’re phrasing it [that Roxas will be chief of staff] but not necessarily. [Roxas is] somebody who comes in with the necessary expertise to understand the problem, who can digest the same problems so that I will have more time in actually operationalizing the solution,” Aquino said.