Atong Ang plants trees

Atong Ang, the co-accused in the plunder case of former President Joseph Estrada, who pleaded guilty to a lesser offense has started planting trees yesterday at the Quezon City Memorial Circle for his community service as part of the probation granted to him by the Sandiganbayan.

Ang joined 34 others prison parolees in the tree planting program supervised by a parole officer as part of the conditions ordered by the anti-graft court’s Special Division for Ang’s probation.

Among the companions of Ang in the tree-planting program are convicted offenders of minor crimes that were placed under probation by various courts.

Wearing a white t-shirt, pants and rubber shoes Ang and the other parolees planted kamuning trees as part of his two-year probation and tree-planting duty ordered by the Sandiganbayan.

The Sandiganbayan had placed Ang under probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of corrupting government officials and his payment of P34 million in damages.

Ang was convicted of corrupting a public official in connection with a  bribery incident.

Aside from planting trees, the anti-graft court had also imposed five conditions on Ang to find a source of a fix income, avoid gambling and disassociate himself from people with shady characters.