THE minority in the House of Representatives on Monday sought a congressional inquiry on Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas’s ownership of an AK-47-type assault rifle and assorted firearms and to determine his culpability and those of his personnel.

In House Resolution 1827, the minority led by its leader, Lakas-Kampi-CMD Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay, urged the House’s Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to assume jurisdiction and take cognizance of the case.

“The phantom of the Kaibigan, Kaklase at Kabarilan [KKK] has once again cast its ominous shadow with the discovery of an AK-47 assault rifle owned by Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas who admitted being a shooting buddy of President Aquino,” said the resolution.

National Police records however indicate that Llamas’s rifle was a Czech Republic-made CZ-585 that looks like a Russian-made AK-47.

The assault rifle was found in the possession of two of Llamas’s bodyguards, Joey Valderama Tecson and John Brilliant Azarcon, who drove his official vehicle bearing the gun and figured in a vehicular accident on October 7 on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

The opposition said that the latest caper of one of Aquino’s “KKK” raises sensitive and fundamental questions relative to official responsibility and propriety, and relevant to the alarming rising criminality with the use of firearms.

In seeking the investigation, the minority wants the committee to determine the following:

·         What must be the standards which should qualify a person to own high-powered firearms and warrant the issuance of a license and permit to carry?

·         Should high-powered firearms be licensed to individuals who are not component elements of the Armed Forces and the National Police?

·         Are mere claims of “death threats” and “holding a sensitive government position” adequate and justified standards for a government official to acquire and possess high-powered weapons and assorted firearms and be issued licenses and permits to carry?

·         If the foregoing are the standards, then so many could qualify and eventually convert the country to a “Rambo” territory?

·         How many long and short firearms should be licensed in favor of a person and how many should he be allowed to carry?

·         With the escalation of the crime incidence with the use of firearms, is there an imperative need to review the policies and guidelines in the issuance of licenses and permits to carry in order to prevent the proliferation of firearms?

·         Did the act of Llamas in owning and possessing two  high-powered firearms and three short arms and his command responsibility over his delinquent subordinates constitute malfeasance, misfeasance and/or nonfeasance in office?