Ronald Llamas

Llamas studied at the University of Santo Tomas, where he took a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from 1978 to 1982.{{cite news |title=Beyond partisan politics |author=Domini M. Torrevillas |url=https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2011/09/08/724636/beyond-partisan-politics |work=Philstar.com |date=September 8, 2011}} During his university years, he was actively involved in student publications, serving as a writer for Hudyat and The Flame, and as features editor of The Varsitarian.{{cite web |last=Santos |first=Tomas |date=2008-11-17 |title=The spirit of people power |url=https://varsitarian.net/news/20081117/the_spirit_of_people_power |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=varsitarian.net |language=en}}

After witnessing a violent demolition of a squatters' area in Tondo, Manila, during his college years, he realized that he must start making a difference in the lives of the impoverished and marginalized sectors of Philippine society. In a special issue of The Flame, he wrote the article "Confessions of a Butcher", a satire about President Ferdinand Marcos and his defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile. Soon, the UST administration warned the Varsitarian against publishing articles deemed critical of the Marcos regime, compelling Llamas to give up his editorship.{{cite web |last= Torrevillas|first=Domini M. |date= 2011-09-08|title=Beyond partisan politics|url=https://qa.philstar.com/opinion/2011/09/08/724636/beyond-partisan-politics|access-date=2024-10-28 |website=Philstar.com |language=en}}

In 1981, he became the first president of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) Student Council when it was revived upon the lifting of martial law. Llamas wrote the first student constitution in UST, primarily to counteract the meddling of university administration in student affairs. It influenced other colleges in the University Belt to follow suit. Later, the UST Central Student Council was established. As its president, Llamas managed to personally hand over to Pope John Paul II a letter expressing the Filipino students' dissent against the Marcos dictatorship when the Supreme Pontiff first visited the country in 1981, which was published in the L'Osservatore Romano months later.{{cite web |last=Santos |first=Tomas |date= 2009-04-04|title=Voice of political change|url=https://varsitarian.net/news/20090404/voice_of_political_change|access-date=2024-10-28 |website=varsitarian.net |language=en}}

Llamas was also instrumental in organizing the Youth for the Advancement of Faith and Justice (YAFJ), an intercollegiate student youth movement that gained prominence and influence in student politics in the University Belt.

Leaving UST without graduating, Llamas became active in trade unionism, organized labor, and other sectoral groups. He helped in establishing several non-governmental organizations, which focused on different marginalized sectors.

Llamas became active in the campaign for the approval of the party-list law. He is one of the founding member and first president of Akbayan Citizens' Action Party in 1998,{{Cite web |title=On President Aquino's choice of Akbayan Leader Ronald Llamas as Presidential Adviser - Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières |url=https://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article19873 |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=www.europe-solidaire.org}}{{Cite web |last=Calica |first=Aurea |date=January 21, 2011 |title=Akbayan head named Noy adviser |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2011/01/21/649726/akbayan-head-named-noy-adviser |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Philstar.com}} and served as one of the party leaders. In that year's national elections, Akbayan won one seat in the Philippine House of Representatives.

On February 25, 2006, he and other personalities were arrested in Santolan, Quezon City, while leading a protest rally commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first People Power Revolution. Those arrested included sociologist Randy David, lawyer Argee Guevarra, and Akbayan party-list representative Risa Hontiveros. The reason for the arrest was the lack of a permit to rally because President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo revoked all permits after she declared a state of national emergency just a few hours earlier.{{cite news|title=Professor, 2 others nabbed (2:29 p.m.)|url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2006/02/24/professor.2.others.nabbed.(2.29.p.m.).html|publisher=Sun.Star|date=February 24, 2006|accessdate=June 27, 2007}}{{cite news|title=Police arrest UP prof, Akbayan leader|url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=30846|publisher=ABS-CBN Corporation|date=February 24, 2006|accessdate=June 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926224330/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=30846 |archive-date=September 26, 2007}} They were later released with all charges dropped. In May 2006, the Supreme Court declared that these arrests were invalid.{{cite web|title=David v. Arroyo, G.R. No. 171396, 3 May 2006|url=http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2006/may2006/G.R.%20No.%20171396.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404132432/http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2006/may2006/G.R.%20No.%20171396.htm|archive-date=April 4, 2008}}

He was initially appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as a member of the board of directors of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) in 2010.{{Cite web |title=PNoy names party-list group president as political adviser |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/211049/pnoy-names-party-list-group-president-as-political-adviser/story/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=GMA News Online|date=January 20, 2011 }}

In 2011, he was appointed as presidential adviser for political affairs. The choice of President Benigno Aquino III to appoint him surprised some media outlets, as they expected Aquino to appoint from his party, Liberal. Aquino later explained his choice that Akbayan, where Llamas is a member, is a coalition partner of Liberal.

In October 2011, Llamas faced controversy when revealed that he owned an AK-47 rifle, which some considered a firearms violation.{{Cite web |last=Avendaño |first=Christine O. |date=2011-10-11 |title=Llamas says AK-47 for self-defense |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/73931/llamas-says-ak-47-for-self-defense |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}} He also stated that he will resign if President Aquino questioned him about the issue.{{Cite web |date=October 11, 2011 |title=Political adviser Llamas willing to resign |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2011/10/11/735947/political-adviser-llamas-willing-resign |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Philstar.com}} In February 2012, after buying pirated DVDs on Circle C Mall in Quezon City, he only got a reprimand from the president.{{Cite web |last=Escudero |first=Malou |date=February 5, 2012 |title=Llamas sinermunan lang |trans-title=Llamas only reprimanded|url=https://www.philstar.com/bansa/2012/02/05/774029/llamas-sinermunan-lang |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=The Philippine Star|language=fil}}

He was said to have played a significant role during the impeachment of Renato Corona, working in the background as an emissary to key personalities and groups.{{Cite web |last=|first= |date=January 31, 2012 |title=Kaugnay sa kaso ni Corona: Llamas, itinangging naging emisaryo siya ng Palasyo sa INC|trans-title=|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/ulatfilipino/246364/kaugnay-sa-kaso-ni-corona-llamas-itinangging-naging-emisaryo-siya-ng-palasyo-sa-inc/story/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=GMA News Online|language=fil}} During his testimony before the Senate impeachment court, Chief Justice Renato Corona accused Llamas of controlling President Benigno Aquino III "by the neck" and that his impeachment is a "left-wing" plot hatched by Llamas and his "leftist" allies to take-over the government.{{Cite web |title=Corona: 'I've done no wrong, I did not steal'

|url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/special-coverage/5753-corona-i-ve-done-no-wrong-i-did-not-steal/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=GMA News Online|date=May 22, 2012}} Llamas denied these allegations by saying that “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.”{{Cite web |last=Porcalla|first=Delon |date=2012-05-24 |title=Llamas says Corona diverting real impeachment issue|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/05/24/809797/llamas-says-corona-diverting-real-impeachment-issue |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}} President Aquino defended Llamas and Akbayan from Corona's accusations.{{Cite web |last=Porcalla|first=Delon |date=2012-05-26 |title=P-Noy stands by Llamas anew issue|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/05/26/810575/p-noy-stands-llamas-anew |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}

After stepping down from his cabinet position, Llamas kept a low profile but remained active in cause-oriented groups. In December 2018, Paolo Duterte accused Llamas as part of a massive opposition network, including several politicians linked with the Liberal Party, Catholic bishops, and private companies, allegedly seeking to oust President Rodrigo Duterte from office.{{cite web |last=|first= |date=2018-12-07 |title=Robredo, Jollibee, PLDT, bishops, Jesuit-educated millennials part of oust Duterte plot, Paolo Duterte says|url=https://politiko.com.ph/2018/12/07/robredo-jollibee-pldt-bishops-jesuit-educated-millennials-part-of-oust-duterte-plot-paolo-duterte-says1/snitch-network/ |language=en}} The alleged ouster network includes the popular food chain Jollibee, the long-deceased Catholic bishop Julio Xavier Labayen, and a non-existent catholic bishop named “Arturo Santos”.{{cite web |last= Malasig|first= Jeline |date= 2018-12-10|title=Paolo Duterte tagged 3 bishops as destabilizers, but one is non-existent|url=https://interaksyon.philstar.com/rumor-cop/2018/12/10/140084/paolo-duterte-oust-duterte-movement-list-catholic-bishops/|access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Interaksyon |language=en}} Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana dismissed the allegations made by Duterte and called it as “fake news”.{{cite web |last= Talabong|first= Rambo |date= 2018-12-10|title=Paolo Duterte's anti-administration list 'fake news' – Lorenzana|url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/218692-lorenzana-says-paolo-duterte-ouster-list-fake-news/|access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Rappler |language=en}}

Llamas became active in the media after the death of Benigno Aquino III in 2021, regularly appearing on talk shows, news programs, and political discussions. He co-hosted One PH’s “‘Wag Po!” and Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “Kwatro Kantos”.

Llamas has made frequent appearances on shows like Facts First with Christian Esguerra, where he shared his perspective on current political events. Over time, he’s become known for offering thoughtful analysis on governance and sharing ideas for tackling some of the country’s most pressing issues. Currently, he is the resident political pundit of One News’ “Storycon”.

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Category:Living people

Category:Filipino activists

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Category:University of Santo Tomas alumni

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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)