Bankrupt Atong eyes lottery job in Cambodia

A bankrupt Charlie “Atong” Ang has sought the court’s approval to work as a lottery consultant in Cambodia.

Government prosecutors expressed no objection to the petition. Ang said the job would enable him to pay off his multimillion-peso debts in the Philippines, which he incurred to stay out of prison.

Ang is still on probation.

In their comment on the motion for reconsideration, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) headed by Dennis Villa-Ignacio   said they would leave it up to the Sandiganbayan Special Division to decide whether Ang would be allowed to travel abroad.

“The People of the Philippines, by the undersigned panel of prosecutors, by way of comment on the motion for reconsideration of probationer Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang, hereby manifests that the People submit the instant motion ‘to the wise discretion of the Honorable Court’,” said the OSP in their two-page comment.

Aside from Villa-Ignacio, those who signed the comment were OSP members Deputy Special Prosecutor Robert Kallos, Director Raymundo Olaguer and Prosecutor John Turalba.

Earlier, Ang had asked the Sandiganbayan Special Division to reconsider its Aug. 29 resolution denying him a one-week travel pass to Cambodia to consider a job offer from a foreign gaming company.

The travel pass was requested on Ang’s behalf by Ceres Añonuevo, chief probation and parole officer (CPPO) of Quezon City.

In his motion for reconsideration filed through lawyer Alfredo Villamor, Ang appealed to the compassion of the court to allow him to go to Cambodia.

“Probationer Ang paid P25 million to the government as civil liability and with all candor he (Ang) does not anymore have money. He must find a lucrative job in order to pay his creditors who helped and lent him money in order to pay said liability,” Villamor said in the motion.

Villamor also said in the motion that there is no objection on the part of the QCPPO since Parole Officer II Romeo Cachin and Añonuevo believe in the urgency of the invitation, the legality of the transaction and the benefits that (Ang) will receive which will be used by him in settling his liabilities.

Ang said he badly needed the job to settle an P8-million debt incurred when he paid his P25-million obligation to the court.

As part of the plea bargaining agreement, the anti-graft court ordered Ang to reimburse the government P25 million which he admitted was his share from the P130-million tobacco excise tax funds.

Ang earlier entered into a plea bargain agreement with the government and pleaded to a lesser offense of corruption of public officials in relation to direct bribery, to escape prosecution for plunder, a capital offense which is non-bailable.

He was sentenced to imprisonment of two years and four months to a maximum of six years. He immediately applied for probation, which the court granted. 

Ang told the court that his creditors are already demanding payment from him, and even threatened to sue him in court.

The job offer came from 888 Company, a private Cambodian gaming firm that expressed interest in hiring Ang as a consultant for its 6/39 lottery operations and possible expansion of other similar ventures.

Jeffrey Chua, 888 Company chief executive officer, and Alexander Billan, an investor, reportedly visited Añonuevo at the QCPPO recently to personally discuss Ang’s employment.

Chua said they strongly believe that Ang’s knowledge and expertise “in this kind of business will be an asset and beneficial to our company.” 

“He will be a great help to us in formulating the appropriate action that the company may need for its smooth operation,” Chua said in his letter to Añonuevo dated Aug. 9, 2007.

Ang emphasized that the possibility of his absconding from the jurisdiction of the court is nil because he has already pleaded guilty to a crime and paid up P25 million to regain his liberty.

“He cannot simply escape and trifle with the generosity of this court. He is amenable to conscientiously abide by any terms or other conditions for travel that this Honorable Court may impose to guarantee his return to the country,” explained his lawyer.

He said his client is also ready to pay a travel bond in the amount the Court may determine reasonable to assure his return.

Añonuevo earlier submitted to the anti-graft court’s Special Division led by Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, two demand letters from Romy Castro and Richard Cornelia, creditors of Ang.

In those letters, Castro and Cornelia demanded from Ang payment of debt totaling to P8 million. They also threatened Ang with legal action if he failed to settle his obligations.

Añonuevo submitted the two letters in support of her motion requesting the court to approve Ang’s travel.

Ang, a former gambling consultant of former President Joseph Estrada, was accused of helping Estrada amass over P4 billion in ill-gotten wealth during the latter’s short-lived presidency, particularly in the alleged misappropriation of the tobacco excise taxes intended for the province of Ilocos Sur.

He was also accused of setting up an illegal gambling network with the former president.

Ang was also said to be Estrada’s “operations manager” in jueteng.

It was alleged that he delivered bundles of cash, withdrawn by an accomplice from a bank account, to the home of Estrada while he was president.

Ang was extradited to the Philippines in November 2006. He fled the country even before Estrada was ousted in 2001. He was arrested and detained in Las Vegas in late 2001 on an extradition request by the Philippine government.