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Charlie
“Atong” Ang has entered into a plea bargain agreement
with the government wherein he admitted to the lesser
crime of corrupting public officials instead of the
plunder case that is currently pending against him with
the Sandiganbayan.
The
agreement signed by Ang with members of the prosecution
panel, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño and
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, surprised the defense
panel, which called it as a part of the grand plan to
pin down former President Joseph Estrada in the plunder
charge.
Ang, a
coaccused of Estrada, and his lawyer, Alfredo Villamor,
officially informed the Special Division of the
Sandiganbayan during a hearing on Wednesday about the
agreement, which among others obligated him to “assist
in the prosecution of, and testify, whenever proper, in
cases being prosecuted by the government in which he has
personal knowledge.”
Since
the former gambling consultant of Estrada is facing
plunder charges, the court said that it would resolve by
next week whether it should admit the
agreement.
Plunder
is a nonbailable offense and carries a penalty of life
imprisonment while the corruption charge is bailable and
carries a penalty of two years and four months to six
years imprisonment.
Estrada
said that he pities his former gambling consultant for
caving in to the demands of the government to help pin
him down “by whatever means possible simply to save his
own neck.”
During
the hearing, which was supposed to have been Ang’s
pretrial on the plunder case, the court asked if he
understood the contents of the agreement that he had
entered into and whether he knows the consequences of
his action.
Ang
responded affirmatively.
Villamor
told the court that the plea bargain agreement would
have no bearing on the plunder case against Estrada,
because it would not be used against him.
But the
defense believed otherwise as it asked the court to
order the prosecution to furnish it a copy of the
agreement.
“This is
precisely what the Arroyo government wanted from Ang
from the very beginning. This is the reason why he was
subjected to harassment and coercion for many years … so
that he could be convinced to give them what they want
even if it is not the truth,” lawyer Rufus Rodriguez
said.
Special
Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio said there was no need
to furnish the Estrada defense panel a copy of the
agreement as it only concerns Ang and would not affect
Estrada.
Aside
from vowing to help the government in cases of which he
has knowledge, Ang also admitted the “facts upon which
the charge of plunder under the amended information has
been made, as well as the allegations therein.”
He also
agreed to return the P25 million that he personally
“took and enjoyed from the amount of P130 million he
conspired to get with accused Estrada.”
Ang was
accused of receiving the P130 million from Ilocos Sur
Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson which allegedly went to the
former President. The money came from the Ilocos Sur
tobacco excise tax.
But
instead of paying the amount in cash, Ang offered to
turn over to the government his house and lot at the
Corinthian
Garden in Quezon City. (With B. Cordero)
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