Friday, July 06, 2007 Gov't opposes planned trip of Estrada co-accused
PROSECUTORS have objected to the request of businessman Charlie Atong Ang to travel to the US for 20 days beginning July 15.
In their comment to Ang's travel bid, Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio and his men noted that the motion was filed without prior approval of the supervising probation and parole officer as required by the court in its resolution granting the accused's petition/application for probation.
The resolution of the Sandiganbayan granting the application for probation imposed conditions which if not complied with or if violated may result in the termination of the probation granted, they added.
Now, if allowed to travel abroad, the probationer will be removed, at least, temporarily from the actual supervision and visitation by a probation officer and control of the court and thereby may open the flood gates for the violation of the said conditions, the prosecutors said.
If, however, the motion will be granted, the prosecution would request that the period of Ang's travel wherein he is outside the control of the court and actual supervision and visitation by a probation officer be excluded from the period of probation given by the court.
Ang, who is under probation, plans to leave the country on July 15 and stay in Las Vegas, Nevada with his family until August 5 and also allow him to pay off debts he incurred since his arrest in 2002.
The convicted former consultant of jailed former President Joseph Estrada was allowed by the Sandiganbayan last May to go free but on probation for the next two years after pleading guilty to a lesser offense in the plunder charges filed against Estrada.
While under probation, Ang was required by the anti-graft court to report to a probation officer every month and plant either molave, yakal, narra or mahogany every two months at the Quezon City Circle or La Mesa Dam Watershed.
Ang was also required to find a fixed source of income and should not associate himself with persons of questionable character. (Sunnex)
