Ex-Philippine official admits illegally possessing U.S. documents

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Ex-Philippine official admits illegally possessing U.S. documents

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press Writer

July 24, 2006, 3:54 PM EDT


NEWARK, N.J. -- Sparing himself a possible life sentence and sparing the U.S. government a messy trial that could highlight weaknesses on how it guards its secrets, a former Philippines National Police officer pleaded guilty Monday to unauthorized possession of U.S. defense documents.

Michael Ray Aquino, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing secret documents containing information on the United States' confidential intelligence sources and methods, as well as information on terrorist threats to U.S. military personnel in the leaders in the Philippines.

But his lawyer denied that Aquino passed along the information to anyone else.

A co-defendant who pleaded guilty earlier this year said the actions were meant to help politicians who wanted to overthrow Philippines President Gloria Arroyo.

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It also spares the government from a trial that would have shown how Leandro Aragoncillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was able to steal hundreds of classified documents while working in the White House for four years.

Aragoncillo was a U.S. Marine who worked as an aide to military advisers for Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney, and later as an FBI intelligence analyst at Fort Monmouth. In pleading guilty in May to conspiracy, he said he gave the information to Aquino and opposition politicians in his homeland who wanted to oust Arroyo.


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