Name	ARAGONCILLO, Leandro	AQUINO, Michael Ray
Employer	FBI at Fort Monmouth, NJ in the FBI's Information Technology Center US Marines	Philippines National Police Intelligence Group (under the government of former president Joseph Estrada) Philippines Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (now-disbanded)
Dates of Employment	July 2004-suspended 12 Sept 2005: FBI 1983-2004: US Marines
Employee Type	Staff
Job Title/Duties	FBI: Intelligence Analyst US Marines: Assignment to the White House between 1999 and 2002 as "administration chief" of the security detail assigned to the Vice President (Gore and then Cheney). Leandro Aragoncillo, left, shakes hands with former Philippines president Joseph Estrada in 2001 with as President Bill Clinton looking on. (Star-Ledger) While in US Marines, stationed in Japan, Guantanamo Bay, Quantico, VA and White House.	Former Deputy Directory of the Philippines National Police Intelligence Group under the government of former president Joseph Estrada Former senior superintendent of the now-disbanded Philippines Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force
Military Rank	Retired US Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 21 years service
Clearance Level	TS/SCI

Spying For	The Philippines
Codename
Spying Dates	August 2000 to August 2005 Admitted to taking files while working under VP Cheney from 2001-2002. Allegedly also gave information to another country (as yet unnamed) ABC News	? to August 2005
Co-conspirators	Michael Ray Aquino	Leandro Aragoncillo
Methodology	Searched FBI computers for information on Philippines, which was outside his work duties Downloaded documents from FBI computers onto disk, put disk in bag and took home. Emailed classified documents to contacts in Philippines. 15 foreign travel trips to the Philippines since 2000; unknown if reported trips as required.	? Conduit between Aragoncillo and Philippine contacts
Possible Motivations, Problems	While working at the White House for Vice President Gore, on 27 July 2000 President Clinton introduced 21 Filipino-American White House staff to Philippine President Joseph Estrada during Estrada's official state visit to the US. Allegedly Estrada and aides later appealed to Aragoncillo's Philippine loyalties. Aragoncillo also had $500,000 in debts at the time, mostly mortgages on rental properties. $200,000 in personal debt, $300,000 mortgage. Aragoncillo traveled to the Philippines 15 times from 2000 to 2005. Met with Estrada at presidential palace in Manila after first meeting in 2000. Kept in contact with Estrada.
Finances
Identified/ Investigation	An alert Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency employee contacted the FBI after Aragoncillo tried to use his FBI employment to intervene on behalf of Aquino, who was facing deportation for overstaying his visa. FBI then launched an audit that showed Aragoncillo gained authorized access to documents pertaining to the Philippines.	From association with Aragoncillo
Arrest Date/Location	Saturday, 10 September 2005	Saturday, 10 September 2005
Charges	Knowingly communicating classified information by a government employee to an agent or representative of a foreign country (i.e. receiving classified information). Acting as an agent of a foreign official without notification of the Attorney General in violation of Title 18 of the US Code, Section 951 Unauthorized use of a government computer to obtain and transmit classified information Conspiracy to commit all of the above offenses in violation of Title 18 of the US Code Section 371. Affidavit: printed and/or downloaded 101 classified documents related to the Philippines, 37 which were marked SECRET. Cooperating with authorities; in plea negotiations	Knowingly communicating classified information by a government employee to an agent or representative of a foreign country (i.e. receiving classified information). Acting as an agent of a foreign official without notification of the Attorney General in violation of Title 18 of the US Code, Section 951 Conspiracy to commit all of the above offenses in violation of Title 18 of the US Code Section 371. Not cooperating with authorities
Court
Lawyers
Status	18 July 2007: Sentenced to 10 years in prison	31 March 2009: Resentenced to three years and 10 months. He will remain in custody pending an extradition hearing. He is wanted in the Philippines for the death of two men authorities say were slain as part of a political vendetta. 21 November 2008: Reduced Sentence request submitted 17 July 2007: Sentenced to 76 months (6+ years) in prison

Date/Place of Birth	Philippines, 1958	Philippines, 1966
Citizenship	Naturalized US citizen in 1991, came to US in 1984	Philippines
Residences	Woodbury, NJ	Queens, NY March 2005: arrested by immigration authorities for overstaying his visa
Education
Family	Wife, two children	Wife, one son
Other Employment
Additional Bio	Six Good Conduct Medals and a Humanitarian Service Medal

Documents	US v Leandro Aragoncillo and Michael Ray Aquino (9 Sept 2005) US v Michael Ray Aquino (6 Oct 2005) Final Indictment (4 May 06) Former Marine and FBI Analyst Sentenced to 10 Years for Transferring Classified Information to Assist in Overthrow of Philippine Government (18 July 2007) Former Marine and FBI Analyst Pleads Guilty to Espionage; Admits Transferring Classified Information to Assist in Overthrow of Philippines Government (4 May 06) Former Philippines Police Official Arraigned on Espionage Charges (20 Oct 2005) Former Philippines National Police Official Indicted (6 Oct 2005) FBI Intelligence Analyst Arrested, Accused of Passing Classified Information; Former Philippines National Police Official Also Charged (12 Sept 2005)
Quotes	"Aragoncillo is guilty of grave betrayals. He betrayed his Marine uniform, his adopted country and the trust bestowed on him as an FBI analyst."--U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie “Those charged with protecting the nation have a special responsibility to maintain their oath of loyalty to the United States. As a former U.S. Marine and FBI analyst, Aragoncillo betrayed that oath, violated our espionage laws, and now must suffer the consequences of his actions.”--Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security "Crimes like these strike at the heart of our national security because they involve our keeping our secrets secret. These defendants will face the full weight of federal prosecution." --United States Attorney Christopher J. Christie "The arrests of Leandro Aragoncillo and Michael Ray Aquino affirm the FBI's commitment to apprehending those who would seek to reveal classified information to foreign nationals." --FBI Special Agent in Charge Leslie Wiser Jr. "We feel like one of those dummies who says, after an ax murderer is caught, 'He was such a nice guy.'" --Neighbor of Aragoncillo "He still has that Filipino heart. He knows I am a president who was pro-poor, and he is pro-poor. That's why he was so worried about what's happening in our country today." --Former Philippine President Joseph Estrada "I think he loves the Philippines so much. He was concerned about the country, people who don't have jobs." --Former Philippine President Joseph Estrada "He's a kind person. He's a good family man. He has two children." --Former Philippine President Joseph Estrada Rather unusual that the former President of the Philippines would know a US Marine Gunnery Sergeant so well. "What it means is that there is a hole in White House security. There are two kinds of people at the White House: Those that have been very well-vetted and those that have been extremely well-vetted and have access to the top secret computer network. This man had access to the top secret computer network." --Richard Clarke, a former White House adviser "The FBI said Aragoncillo was concerned about e-mailing from his personal account so many classified documents from FBI computers, and he asked one recipient, Filipino opposition Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, whether he was a nuisance. "The reply, court records say, came back two days later in a cell phone message intercepted by the FBI: "What you are sending are never a nuisance to me. They are in fact informative and very useful." (AP, 18 Jan 06)
Case Links	Case Timeline Quotes from Court Records
BOOKS

A Spy’s Motivation: For Love of Another Country

........A new study by a Defense Department contractor shows that divided loyalty, usually on the part of naturalized Americans with roots in a foreign land, has become the dominant motive.

From 1947 to 1990, the study found, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans charged with spying were acting solely or primarily out of patriotic, as opposed to ideological, loyalty to a foreign country. Since 1990, according to the study’s author, Katherine L. Herbig, divided loyalty has been the sole or primary motive in about half of all cases.

“Dual loyalty is a problem we haven’t seen on such a scale since the Revolution,” when many colonists swore allegiance to the British king, said Joel F. Brenner, the top counterintelligence official in the office of the director of national intelligence.

.....But even as the government aggressively courts first-generation and second-generation Americans, the new statistics suggest, it must keep a wary eye out for those whose real loyalty is to their native country or to militant Islam.....(New York Times, 20 April 2008)

REPORT: Changes in Espionage by Americans: 1947-2007 (pdf)

News:

Judge resets Mancao arraignment to June 30 - Michael Ray Aquino charged also

Manila judge on Wednesday reset to June 30 the arraignment of former police Senior Superintendent Cezar Mancao II on the Dacer-Corbito case. Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that Mancao's camp lodged a motion for postponement asking for time to study the case, which Judge Myra Fernandez accommodated. Mancao arrived at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 past 10 a.m., amid tight security provided by the National Bureau of Investigation. Lawyers of the other accused in the Dacer-Corbito case questioned anew what they called the "special treatment" Mancao had been getting at the NBI . . . .But Mancao has offered to be a state witness and has linked then Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former President Joseph Estrada to the murders. Both Estrada and Lacson denied the allegations. Also charged with him before the Manila RTC were Sr. Supt. Michael Ray B. Aquino, Chief Supt. Teofilo Viña, SPO2 Allan Cadenillo Villanueva, SPO4 Marino Soberano, SPO3 Mauro Torres, SPO3 Jose Escalante, Crisostomo M. Purificacion, Digo de Pedro, Renato Malabanan, Jovencio Malabanan, Margarito Cueno, Rommel Rollan, Chief Insp. Vicente Arnado, Insp. Roberto Langcauon, SPO4 Benjamin Taladlua, SPO1 Rolando Lacasandile, SPO1 Mario Sarmiento, SPO1 William Reed, PO2 Thomas J. Sarmiento, Jr., and SPO1 Ruperto A. Nemenio. Aquino is in a United States jail on espionage charges, while Viňa, who was earlier implicated by some of the accused as the one who masterminded the abduction-slayings, was killed by still unknown gunmen sometime in 2001. (GMA, 17 Jun 09)

Espionage sentence shortened for Michael Ray Aquino who faces extradition

A federal judge in Newark yesterday reduced the espionage sentence of a former Philippine National Police officer, clearing the way for a hearing to determine if he will be extradited to his homeland to face murder charges. Michael Ray Aquino, who has been imprisoned since 2005 for possessing classified U.S. military documents, was resentenced to three years and 10 months, which would have made him eligible for immediate release. Aquino, however, will remain in custody pending an extradition hearing. He is wanted in the Philippines for the death of two men authorities say were slain as part of a political vendetta. Yesterday's proceeding stems from Aquino's 2006 guilty plea to possessing a military document. The classified document was stolen by a U.S. military analyst authorities say was linked to a plot to overthrow the Philippines government. Aquino, 42, was initially sentenced to six years by U.S. District Judge William Walls. But a three-judge panel of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the judge, saying he used the wrong guidelines. . . . He once headed an elite anti-organized crime task force for the Philippines National Police and is charged in the 2000 murder of a high-profile publicist, Salvador Dacer, and Dacer's driver, Emmanuel Corbito. Authorities say the two men were killed by rogue members of the national police loyal former president Joseph Estrada. Aquino is accused of ordering the attack, according to an extradition complaint filed Oct. 16 by an assistant U.S. attorney on behalf of the Philippines. (Star-Ledger, 1 Apr 09)

Judge delays spy convict Michael Ray Aquino's extradition hearing

A former Philippine National Police officer who has spent the last 3 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to espionage-related charges will have to wait to find out if he has to return to his native country to face murder charges. U.S. Magistrate Judge Esther Salas delayed an extradition hearing for Michael Ray Aquino on Thursday to give attorneys time to file briefs and line up witnesses. Attorney Mark A. Berman, representing Aquino, said two of the witnesses he plans to call are Cesar Mancao and Glenn Dumlao, also former Philippine National Police officers who are charged with Aquino in connection with a double homicide in 2000. The crime involved the abduction, interrogation and murder of two men as part of a "special operation" orchestrated by Aquino, according to an extradition complaint filed on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, where Aquino has been imprisoned. . . . Aquino, who has been incarcerated since his arrest in the fall of 2005, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2007 to 76 months in prison for accepting classified documents from a former U.S. Marine who once worked as an aide to Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney. However, last month a federal appeals court vacated the sentence, saying it was based on a mistaken interpretation of federal guidelines, and ordered a resentencing, scheduled for Tuesday (31 Mar 09) in U.S. District Court in Newark. Aquino could be sentenced to time served, but it is likely he will remain in custody pending resolution of the extradition dispute. Former FBI intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo pleaded guilty to passing the classified documents to Aquino and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors allege the documents were stolen as part of a plot to destabilize and overthrow Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. (AP, 26 Mar 09)

Federal appeals court reduces sentence for Philippines officer in spy case

…Michael Ray Aquino, 42, pleaded guilty in 2006 to possessing the military document stolen by a White House spy, Leandro Aragoncillo, who was a military affairs analyst under Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney. Aquino faces deportation when he is released from prison… The defendant pleaded guilty to merely to possessing military secrets, and a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that Walls erred in using harsher sentencing guideline reserved gathering or transmitting classified documents… Federal prosecutors had defended Walls' sentence. They argued his guilty plea included acknowledging the stolen documents could have been used to harm the United States, making him eligible for the stiffer sentence… Aragoncillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen serving 10 years in prison, was the principal player in the espionage case, which authorities said was tied to a larger plot to overthrow Philippines President Gloria Arroyo. He stole hundreds of classified and national security documents, sometimes faxing them from the White House or stuffing them in his gym bag, according to authorities. Aragoncillo stopped working at the White House in 2002, but continued pilfering documents as an FBI analyst at Fort Monmouth. Aquino's role was never fully made clear. He had been a protege of a former National Police leader who led an unsuccessful bid to unseat Arroyo in 2004. He wound up in New York and met Aragoncillo. Authorities began investigating the pair after Aquino was detained for immigration violations, and Aragoncillo tried to intercede using his FBI credentials…….(Star-Ledger, 6 Feb 09)

Court vacates sentence of Filipino Michael Ray Aquino in spy case

A federal appeals court on Friday vacated the sentence of a former Philippine National Police officer imprisoned for possessing secret U.S. documents. Michael Ray Aquino is serving a six-year, four-month sentence after pleading guilty to unauthorized possession of classified documents. The new ruling in U.S. District Court concluded that the sentence was based on a mistaken interpretation of federal guidelines… The new sentencing range will be 36 to 46 months, said Aquino's attorney, Mark Berman. Aquino has been in prison since September 2005 and could be freed if he is sentenced to time served, Berman said. Aquino acknowledged accepting the documents from a former Marine who once worked as an aide to Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney. The Marine, Leandro Aragoncillo, later became an FBI intelligence analyst at Fort Monmouth……(Newsday, 6 Feb 09)

Reduced sentence asked in spy case

A lawyer for a former Philippines National Police officer serving six years for possessing national defense secrets asked a federal appeals court panel in Newark yesterday to reduce his sentence by up to half. Michael Ray Aquino, 42, pleaded guilty in 2006 to possessing the military document stolen by a White House spy, Leandro Aragoncillo, who was a military affairs analyst under Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney. Aquino's lawyer, Mark Berman, argued the defendant was wrongly sentenced under federal guidelines reserved for gathering or transmitting -- not merely possessing -- classified documents. Berman said the judge should have used more lenient guidelines recommending between three and four years in prison. "Michael Ray Aquino did not plead guilty to gathering national defense information," Berman told the three-judge panel of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ... Aragoncillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen serving 10 years in prison, was the principal player in the espionage case, which authorities said was tied to a larger plot to overthrow Philippines President Gloria Arroyo. He stole hundreds of classified and national security documents, sometimes faxing them from the White House or stuffing them in his gym bag, according to authorities. Aragoncillo stopped working at the White House in 2002, but continued pilfering documents as an FBI analyst at Fort Monmouth. Aquino's role was never fully made clear. He had been a protégé of a former National Police leader who led an unsuccessful bid to un seat Arroyo in 2004. He wound up in New York and met Aragoncillo…….(Star-Ledger, 22 Nov 08)

Filipino Native Wants Sentence In Spy Case Reduced

A former Philippine National Police officer imprisoned for obtaining secret U.S. documents to try and undermine the Philippine government wants his sentence reduced. Michael Ray Aquino argued in court in Newark on Friday that his six-year, four-month sentence was excessive under federal guidelines. Former Marine Leandro Aragoncillo, who worked as an aide to vice presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney before becoming an FBI intelligence analyst at Fort Monmouth, admitted passing the information to Aquino. Aragoncillo is serving a 10-year sentence. Aquino pleaded guilty in 2006 to unauthorized possession of classified documents……(AP, 21 Nov 08)

Military-secrets inmate wants sentence reduced

A lawyer for a former high-ranking officer in the Philippines National Police serving six years for possessing national defense secrets today asked a federal appeals court panel in Newark to reduce his sentence by up to half. Michael Ray Aquino pleaded guilty in 2006 to possessing the military document stolen by a White House spy, Leandro Aragoncillo, who served as a military affairs analyst under Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney. …….(Star-Ledger, 21 Nov 08)

U.S. Cancels Visas of RP Officials in Espionage Case

…quoting a close Estrada associate whose visa was canceled, said from 15 to 20 opposition figures implicated in the espionage case have suffered the cancellation of their visas. The opposition figures were believed to have received information stolen by Filipino-American intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo from files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Aragoncillo, who worked in the office of US Vice President Dick Cheney, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage by a federal court in New Jersey in July last year. Former Philippine police officer Michael Ray Aquino was also arrested and sentenced in connection with the case. Aquino was detailed with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force during the Estrada administration, working under Panfilo Lacson who is now a senator….(Star, 22 May 08)

US State Dept revokes visas of Erap, others in espionage case

The US State Department has revoked the US visas of at least six current and former government officials, in connection with the first known case of espionage from within the White House involving naturalized FIlipino American Leandro Aragoncillo last year. But a close Estrada associate, whose visa was cancelled, estimates fifteen to twenty opposition figures suffered the cancellation of their visas, including former President Joseph Estrada and former House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella. In July 2007, a Federal Court in New Jersey sentenced Aragoncillo, a naturalized Filipino-American intelligence analyst who worked for US Vice-President Richard "Dick" Cheney, to ten years imprisonment. He was charged for stealing classified information about President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and passing it on to known opposition leaders in the Philippines… President Estrada, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and former Speaker Fuentebella, who were identified as Aragoncillo's co-conspirators in court filings on the case, denied their visas were cancelled. A Senate source, however, disclosed the visas of two staff members of Senator Lacson have been revoked. President Estrada claimed his visa merely lapsed while he was in jail on plunder charges. He said he had gone to the US embassy last week to apply for a new visa and for fingerprinting. Estrada said he plans to visit the US in late June or after he travels to Beijing, China for the Olympics in August…..(ABC-CBN, 21 May 08)

Gonzalez, Lacson have nice words for each other

…Gonzalez, on the other hand, has ordered an investigation into the certain unindicted co-conspirators of Leandro Aragoncillo, a Filipino-American who was convicted of espionage by a US court and sentenced last July to six to 10 years in prison for stealing and passing on secret US documents in a bid to topple the Arroyo administration. Aragoncillo, a former US Marine and Federal Bureau of Investigation intelligence analyst, admitted passing information to Michael Ray Aquino, a former aide of Lacson, and opposition politicians in the Philippines who wanted to oust Ms Arroyo……(Inquirer, 21 Nov 07)

Aquino Appeals; Aragoncillo Waives Right

He obtained these from a US Marine Leandro Aragoncillo who worked under two US vice presidents and who worked as a FBI intelligence analyst. Aragoncillo waived his right to file an appeal when he did not file a notice of appeal 10 days after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $40,000. He had pled guilty to four counts of an indictment: Conspiracy to Transmit National Defense Information; Transmission of National Defense Information; Unlawful Retention of National Defense Information; and Unlawful Use of a Government Computer. Under the rules, Messrs. Aquino and Aragoncillo have the right to appeal their sentences 10 days after their sentences were handed down two days apart by US District Court Judge William H. Walls in Newark, New Jersey before the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania……(Asia Journal, 28 Sep 07)

Ping stunt costs jailers’ jobs

Senator Panfilo Lacson sneaked into the detention cell of soldiers detained at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal Friday morning and caused the relief of at least 10 jail guards who were blamed for his unauthorized entry… Lacson has been linked to several attempts to bring down the Arroyo administration, including the espionage case against former police officer Michael Ray Aquino who was indicted for getting classified information from Washington. Aquino said Lacson, who is his former boss in the National Police, asked him to look for an insider privy to intelligence information in the Federal Bureau of Investigation which led him to contact Leandro Aragoncillo…..(Manila Standard, 27 Aug 07)

Justice trains guns on Aragoncillo’s accomplices

The justice department will go after politicians and public officials who have conspired with Leandro Aragoncillo in stealing top-secret documents of the US government. Aragoncillo was convicted in the US of espionage, along with former police officer Michael Ray Aquino, one of the deputies of Senator Panfilo Lacson when he was with the National Police. The evidence against the two included documents and compact discs recording their conversations with their local cohorts. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said these pieces of evidence will back up the Philippine case against the local conspirators. Gonzalez said that the 12 compact discs were handed over by the US Attorney General….(Manila Standard Today, 23 Aug 07)

DoJ forms team to study evidence vs Aquino, Aragoncillo

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has formed a special team of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents to study and transcribe the evidence used against former police officer Michael Ray Aquino and former Federal Bureau of Investigation analyst Leandro Aragoncillo…The Filipino-American Aragoncillo, who once worked under former US vice president Al Gore and current Vice President Dick Cheney, was sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to espionage charges…..(Inquirer, 23 Aug 07)

DoJ chief hits back at Lacson with CD on US espionage case

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, a loyal ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is matching Senator Panfilo Lacson’s revival of the “Hello Garci” election fraud inquiry with compact disc recordings of evidence that include the alleged involvement of opposition personalities in the theft of US classified documents. The justice department is now rushing to transcribe recorded phone conversations between former spy Leandro Aragoncillo and policeman Michael Ray Aquino and their un-indicted co-conspirators in their espionage case…..(Inquirer, 23 Aug 07)

Lacson, Pimentel, Erap can’t set foot in US

If former President Erap, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel and former Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella set foot in the United States and any US territory, they’ll immediately be arrested and charged with espionage. Two of their alleged conspirators—former police Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino and FBI agent Leandro Aragoncillo—have been sentenced by US courts for espionage….(Inquirer, 16 Aug 07)

Prosecutors going after Aragoncillo’s accomplices

The Philippine government has asked Washington for copies of the documents used by a United States district court as evidence to convict former Police Supt. Michael Ray Aquino and Filipino-American Leandro Aragoncillo of pilferage of classified intelligence papers, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said yesterday. Using these documents, justice officials may be able to identify their accomplices in the Philippines….(Manila Standard Today, 21 Jul 07)

Aragoncillo Gets 10 Years for Espionage

A Manila-born former US Marine who worked under two administrations in the Office of Vice President of the United States was sentenced Wednesday, July 18, to 10 years in prison for espionage and other charges for taking and transferring classified information to senior political and government officials of the Philippines in an attempt to destabilize and overthrow that country’s government. US District Judge William H. Walls in Newark, New Jersey also fined Leandro Aragoncillo $40,000 for his guilty pleas on espionage charges on May 4, 2006…Prosecutors said Aragoncillo had ten co-conspirators and four unindicted co-conspirators. Included in the list were identified in court filings as Estrada, former Philippine House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella and Sen. Panfilo Lacson…Aquino, a former ranking Philippine police officer, was also sentenced Tuesday, July 17, by Judge Walls to six years and four months in prison after pleading last May 4, 2006 to unlawfully possessing secret US government documents containing information relating to national defense he obtained from Aragoncillo.…..(Asia Journal, 21 Jul 07)

Filipino spy from N.J. gets 10 years

Leandro Aragoncillo, a former White House aide once praised by Vice President Al Gore for serving U.S. national security interests "with remarkable honor and distinction" was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for passing secrets to associates plotting a coup in the Philippines…….(Star-Ledger, 19 Jul 07)

Former White House aide gets 10 years for spying

Leandro Aragoncillo, a former White House aide once praised by Vice President Al Gore for serving U.S. national security interests "with remarkable honor and distinction," was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for passing secrets to allies in the Philippines. The sentence, imposed by a federal judge in Newark, brought to a close a two-year investigation that exposed an unprecedented and embarrassing security breach in the nation's highest offices. Officials have never disclosed the extent of the damage, but acknowledged that Aragoncillo, a military affairs adviser, was able to steal hundreds of classified and national security documents, sometimes faxing them from White House phone lines or carting them off in his gym bag as he walked from the grounds. The information included data on U.S. military and counter-terrorism operations, assessments on global politics, and at least the name of one secret government source.…..(Star-Ledger, 18 Jul 07)

Former Spy And Cheney Aide Gets 10 Years

A former FBI intelligence analyst who worked under two vice presidents was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for passing secret U.S. documents in an effort to topple the Philippine government......(CBS/AP, 18 Jul 07)

Filipino Gets 6 Years Prison In Cheney Spy Case

A former top police official in the Philippines who admitted receiving classified information stolen from U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's office was sentenced to more than six years in prison on Tuesday. Michael Ray Aquino struck a deal with prosecutors last July and pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing and retaining documents and information relating to national defense that had been stolen by an FBI analyst…..(Reuters, 18 Jul 07)

Courier in spy case gets 6-year sentence

A former high-ranking officer in the Philippines National Police was sentenced yesterday to more than six years in prison for possessing national defense secrets stolen by a White House spy. "I never had the intention to harm the United States," Michael Ray Aquino told Senior U.S. District Court Judge William Walls in Newark……(Star-Ledger, 18 Jul 07)

Suspected spy gets 61/3 years

A former official in the Philippines National Police was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in federal prison for possessing stolen U.S. intelligence reports in what prosecutors say was a plot to topple the president of his homeland. Michael Ray Aquino's actions "subjected the national security of our country to some peril," said U.S. District Judge William H. Walls…..(North Jersey, 18 Jul 07)

DOJ seeks evidence in Michael Ray Aquino espionage case

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said Wednesday he is studying whether the Philippine government can file criminal charges against local politicians linked to an espionage case in the United States…..Gonzales said he asked US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales through the US Embassy in Manila to furnish the Philippine government with the evidence used to convict Aquino, in a bid to identify local politicians who may have acted with him…….(GMA, 18 Jul 07)

Ex-FBI Analyst Faces Prison in Spy Plot

A former FBI intelligence analyst who worked under two vice presidents could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison Wednesday for passing secret U.S. documents in a plot to topple the Philippine government. Leandro Aragoncillo, 48, who worked as a military aide to vice presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney before joining the FBI as a civilian employee at Fort Monmouth, pleaded in 2006 to four charges…..(AP, 18 Jul 07)

Michael Ray gets 6 years; DOJ eyes conspirators in RP

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will build a case, possibly for espionage and sedition, against the Filipino co-conspirators of Michael Ray Aquino, a former officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison in the US for espionage…..(Philippine Star, 18 Jul 07)

Ex-Philippine officer could get 10-year term

A former Philippine National Police officer could be sentenced to a decade in prison Tuesday for his role in a plot in which he obtained secret U.S. documents in an effort to undermine the Philippine government. Federal prosecutors are seeking the maximum 10-year term for Michael Ray Aquino. They maintain that the "serious disruption" he caused to the American government outweighed any benefit he should receive for pleading guilty in the conspiracy……He is to be sentenced Wednesday, also before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls……(AP, 17 Jul 07)

The plot to steal U.S. secrets for a foreign coup

…Aragoncillo, a retired career U.S. Marine trusted enough to work for two vice presidents, passed state secrets from his home computer using an easily traceable Hotmail account. Aquino, a former high-ranking officer in the Philippines National Police, sought tips by buying a book, "Coup d'Etat: A Practical Handbook," over the Internet. And they contributed as much as any federal agent to their downfall. Wanted for murder in his homeland, Aquino applied for a work visa at a U.S. immigration office in New York as if no one would notice he was on the lam. He was jailed. Then Aragoncillo, using his FBI credentials, pressed for Aquino's release, raising the red flag that prompted the unprecedented investigation…..(Star-Ledger, 6 May 07)

Ping linked to spying case in US

The District Attorney of New Jersey in the US has implicated Sen. Panfilo Lacson as a co-conspirator in the espionage case involving his former ally, Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino, Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez said Tuesday. Aquino has confessed to receiving confidential information leaked by US Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Leandro Aragoncillo. Gonzalez said he received the half-inch thick document from the district attorney, which he identified only as Buch, who is prosecuting the Aquino-Aragoncillo espionage case, containing their fact-finding report wherein Lacson’s name was supposedly mentioned…..(Manila Times, 2 May 07)

Gonzalez: Only GMA can make me resign

…The memorandum also mentioned Congressman Rodito Albano as having recruited Aragoncillo “to gather classified documents and information from the OVP (Office of the Vice President), and transmit them to Albano in order to assist Albano in, among other things, his efforts to help Estrada during Estrada’s impeachment proceedings.”….(Manila Times, 3 May 07)

Ping hits back at Raul: Why do you dictate US govt?

Unethical, improper and a big lie. This was how reelectionist senator Panfil Ping Lacson, of the Genuine Opposition, described Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez’s threat to have him extradited to the United States over an espionage case…“First of all, his claim that I masterminded Aquino and Aragoncillo’s espionage case is a big lie. Second, Gonzalez again violated ethics and showed disregard for American judicial processes,"….(GMA News, 1 May 07)

Aquino's Lawyer to Travel to Manila

United States District Court Judge William H. Walls in Newark, New Jersey allowed the lawyer of Michael Ray Aquino to travel to the Philippines to secure the depositions from Sen. Panfilo Lacson and others during the oral argument on the presentencing of the former ranking Philippine National Police official. But Judge Walls denied Wednesday (April 11) Attorney Mark A. Berman’s motion for discovery, seeking “the production of all documents relating to Aquino’s relationship with Senator Lacson, all statements of Aquino’s co-defendant Leandro Aragoncillo” and wanted to find out if the government is going to “to show that [Aquino] acted at the behest of Senator Lacson at sentencing.” Walls also reset Aquino’s sentencing from April 16, 2007 to July 27, 2007 at 9:30 a.m….(Asian Journal, 19 Apr 07)

Michael Ray lawyer to get Ping affidavit on spy case

A US district judge has allowed the lawyer of former police officer Michael Ray Aquino to travel to Manila and get the depositions of opposition senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson and other officials in relation to the espionage case pending in New Jersey….(GMA, 20 Apr 07)

US prosecutors seek 10-year term for Filipino spy

Federal prosecutors in New Jersey are seeking a 10-year prison term for a former Philippine National Police officer who pleaded guilty to possessing secret US documents as part of an opposition plot to undermine the Philippine government. In seeking the maximum term for Michael Ray Aquino, prosecutors said that the "serious disruption'' he caused to the American government outweighed any benefit he should receive for accepting responsibility in the conspiracy - a plot that involved the theft of classified national defense documents from the White House and the FBI…..(AP, 18 Apr 07)

Lawyer Threatens to Call US VP Cheney, Gore to Testify in 'Pinoy Spy' Case

The lawyer for Michael Ray Aquino threatened to "rake [Leandro Aragoncillo] and the government over the coals" by calling Vice President Dick Cheney and former Vice President Al Gore and other government officials to testify regarding Aragoncillo "and his activities during the relevant time period."….(16 Apr 07)

Sentencing for Pinoy Spies Reset to April 16, 17

United States District Court Judge William H. Walls authorized the defense lawyer of Michael Ray Aquino "to retain an intelligence expert under" the Criminal Justice Act and "to travel to the Philippines "to investigate the allegations contained in the PSR" (presentence report). Walls also "adjourned without date" the sentencing of Mr. Aquino scheduled on Tuesday, March 13, 2007, in Newark, New Jersey….(Asian Journal, 20 Mar 07)

Ex-top cop a spy, says prosecutor

...“Michael Ray Aquino agreed to possession of certain U.S. documents,” Aquino’s lawyer, Mark Berman, said during an interview with The Filipino Channel, “in return for dismissal of charges that had been pending against him which were conspiracy with Aragoncillo and acting as a foreign agent in the United States.” Aquino, who was arrested on September 10, 2005 with former U.S. Marine and FBI intelligence analyst, Leandro Aragoncillo, admitted to having legal documents, which contained national defense information…..(Philippine News, 2 Aug 06)

RP wants US documents on Aquino espionage case -- DoJ chief

The Philippine government will ask the United States for copies of documents related to the espionage case of former police officer Michael Ray Aquino, according to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez. Aquino had pleaded guilty on two counts of the crime following his arrest in the US this month…..(Inquirer7, 31 Jul 06)

RP awaits official communication from US on Michael Ray

The Philippine government has yet to receive the official communication from the United States involving former police Sr. Supt. Michael Ray Aquino who pleaded guilty of espionage before a U.S. court….(Balita, 27 Jul 06)

Aquino pleads guilty to 2 counts of espionage
Former police Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of espionage and could face up to 10 years in prison and $ 250,000 fine, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed….(Tempo, 26 Jul 06)

Aquino virtually confirmed dark plan of opposition - Palace

Following the guilty plea of Michael Ray Aquino on his espionage case filed by the US government, Malacanang has expressed vindication over the government's earlier warning of conspiracy to topple down the Arroyo leadership…..(Philippine Information Agency, 26 Jul 06)

Filipino admits guilt in spy case
A former Philippines national police official pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he received classified U.S. intelligence reports, including information on terrorist threats to U.S. military personnel on the island nation. Wearing a green prison outfit and wrist and ankle shackles, Michael Ray Aquino, 40, told U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark the documents were e-mailed to him early last year by former FBI intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo. Aragoncillo, an ex-Marine who worked as an aide to Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney, was hired in July 2004 by the FBI as a civilian intelligence analyst at the Fort Monmouth Information Technology Center in central New Jersey…..(New Jersey Media, 25 Jul 06)

Aquino plea will delay resolution of cases in RP -- Gonzalez

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said on Tuesday he was not happy with former police officer Michael Ray Aquino's guilty plea to two counts of espionage against the United States because it would delay the resolution of pending cases against him here…..(Inquirer7, 25 Jul 06)

Aquino pleads guilty to spying in US -- DFA

…The US Attorney's Office reported that Aquino admitted to receiving national defense documents from Filipino-American Leandro Aragoncillo, said Melita Santa Maria Thomeczek, acting head of consular affairs in the Philippine consulate general in New York…..(Inquirer7, 25 Jul 06)

Former Philippines officer to plead guilty in spy case

…With the plea, (Michael Ray) Aquino avoids a more serious espionage charge and a potential life sentence. Instead, he is likely to face a minimum prison term of between three and six years. It also spares the government a complex trial that would have showcased how Leandro Aragoncillo, a career Marine and Filipino native, was able to pilfer sensitive military and intelligence documents from the White House and FBI over a four-year span. Aragoncillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen who most recently lived in Deptford Township, admitted earlier this year that he stole hundreds of classified documents while working as an aide to military advisers for Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney and later as an FBI intelligence analyst at Fort Monmouth….(Star-Ledger, 24 Jul 06)

Espionage Arrests

A former high-ranking Philippines police official reportedly will plead guilty in federal court in Newark today to unauthorized possession of U-S defense documents…(AP, 24 Jul 06)

Estrada tells US court he never got secret files

In a deposition he sent to the lawyer of Michael Ray Aquino in the US, Estrada also said he neither solicited nor did he encourage either Aquino or Leandro Aragoncillo to filch US government files to pass on to him....(Inquirer7, 4 Jun 06)

Ex-cop Aquino asks court to withdraw arrest warrant
Former senior police superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, who is being detained in the United States in connection with a espionage case, has asked a Manila court to withdraw an arrest warrant it issued against him … Aquino and Mancao were tagged by US authorities in connection with an espionage case involving Filipino-American intelligence expert Leandro Aragoncillo….(Inquirer7, 12 May 06)

Aragoncillo recruited by Isabela lawmaker

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III was the one who recruited Filipino-American spy Leandro Aragoncillo, and was the fifth politician to receive copies of classified documents stolen from the White House and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an administration source said yesterday. “It’s him. He received copies of the stolen documents,” said the source, who has been involved in national security issues….(Manila Standard Today, 10 May 06)

Estradas, Lacson deny espionage charges in U.S.

...The Estrada family and Lacson had been pointed to as the recipients of information illegally gathered by Filipino-American Leandro Aragoncillo…..(Philippine News, 10 May 06)

Espionage case to create less political noise now – Malacanang

Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said that with the espionage case in the United States involving a Filipino-American intelligence expert Leandro Aragoncillo and some incumbent Philippine officials, the Filipinos can have less political noise and instability, and a chance to move forward…..(PIA, 8 May 06)

Palace official expects political noise to ease

… US federal investigators accused Aragoncillo of stealing and transmitting information classified as secret and confidential to unauthorized persons, which included former President Joseph Estrada, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and other members of the opposition…..(Manila Times, 8 May 06)

Ex-FBI Analyst Pleads Guilty to Espionage

A former FBI intelligence analyst admitted that for five years he passed classified information gleaned from White House and FBI computers to conspirators he said were trying to overthrow Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo…..(AP, 5 May 06)

Former Marine Admits Passing Secret Documents

…The former marine, Leandro Aragoncillo, 47, a naturalized American citizen who came to the United States from his native Philippines in 1983, also confessed that he had continued mining top-secret and classified material after leaving the Office of the Vice President in the White House in 2003. He took a job as an intelligence analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2004…..(New York Times, 5 May 06)

Politicians in Arroyo ouster plot face treason--Palace exec

Politicians who may be found involved in plotting to overthrow the government based on the testimony by Filipino-American intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo will be charged with either treason or rebellion…..(Inquirer7, 5 May 06)

Plotters with US spy to overthrow President face treason charges

…Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor told reporters that the government was closely monitoring the espionage case filed by the U.S. federal government against Leandro Aragoncillo…..(Xinhua Net, 5 May 06)

Ex-VP aide, FBI analyst admits spying

...In a federal court hearing in Newark, New Jersey, Leandro Aragoncillo entered into a plea agreement that would keep the death penalty off the table for him….(CNN, 4 May 06)

Erap ready to disclose all in espionage case

Deposed President Joseph Estrada, seeing his name dragged into the US espionage case filed by the FBI against a Filipino American, Leandro Aragoncillo, is willing to give his deposition and tell all. In an interview during a break in his plunder trial at the Sandiganbayan Special Division, Estrada admitted that he received e-mails and other communications from Aragoncillo…..(Manila Times, 27 Apr 06)

Govt to Help Defend Erap, Ping, Fuentebella in Espionage Case
Malacañang said yesterday it would extend legal protection to former President Joseph Estrada and the two opposition leaders who were implicated in an espionage case in the United States….(Star, 27 Apr 06)

Estrada denies US espionage charge
Former President Joseph Estrada yesterday denied allegations by US federal prosecutors that he conspired with a former Federal Bureau of Investigation analyst to steal classified information that could be used to oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo…..(Inquirer7, 27 Apr 06)

Estrada denies conspiring in US spy plot

Ousted Philippine President Joseph Estrada on Wednesday denied allegations by US federal prosecutors that he conspired with a former FBI analyst to steal classified information that could be used to oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Federal prosecutors identified Estrada, opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson and former House of Representatives Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella as alleged participants in a spy plot involving former FBI analyst Leandro Aragoncillo…..(Sun-Star, 26 Apr 06)

Ex-Philippine president, 2 others named in U.S. spy plot
...According to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Newark, Estrada, Sen. Panfilio Lacson and former Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella worked with Leandro Aragoncillo, the former analyst suspected of passing secret intelligence to officials in the Philippines…..(AP, 26 Apr 06)

Warrant eyed on Mancao

…Mancao, a former member of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, was arrested in Florida recently to stand as a witness against former officer Michael Ray Aquino, who is facing espionage charges along with former Federal Bureau of Investigation intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo…..(Manila Standard Today, 24 Apr 06)

Ex-cop held in foreign spy case

…Federal prosecutors in Newark, N.J., want Mancao to testify on April 27 before the grand jury in the spy case against Mancao's former senior colleague in the Philippine National Police, Michael Ray Aquino, and the ex-FBI intelligence analyst, Leandro Aragoncillo….(Miami Herald, 20 Apr 06)

RP consul visits Mancao in Miami

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has allowed a Philippine diplomat to visit detained former police superintendent Cesar Mancao II in Miami, Florida…..(Inquirer7, 20 Apr 06)

Mancao Detained by FBI in Miami
Cashiered police senior superintendent Cesar Mancao is being held in Miami, Florida as a witness against his former colleague Michael Ray Aquino on charges of espionage….(Star, 19 Apr 06)

DOJ undecided on Mancao extradition

He is being probed for his alleged involvement with Filipino American Leandro Aragoncillo and Michael Ray Aquino, also a former Philippine National Police officer. Both Aragoncillo, a former FBI analyst, and Aquino have been charged with espionage…..(ABS-CBN, 18 Apr 06)

FBI agents nab Mancao in Florida

Former Police Senior Superintendent Cesar Mancao has been taken into FBI custody in Miami, Florida, in connection with the unprecedented spying scandal in the White House involving Filipinos, Philippine officials said yesterday….(Inquirer7, 17 Apr 06)

DoJ may revive murder raps against Mancao

The Department of Justice will review the Dacer-Corbito double murder case to see if the government can bring charges against former police officer Cesar Mancao II, who was recently arrested in the United States in connection with an espionage case involving a former aide of Senator Panfilo Lacson…..(Manila Standard, 17 Apr 06)

FBI arrests another former Lacson aide

Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have arrested in Florida a former police officer closely associated with Senator Panfilo Lacson who fled to the United States five years ago in connection with the espionage case against another former aide of the senator…..(Manila Standard, 16 Apr 06)

Bail seen for former PNP Officer in US espionage Case

Michael Ray Aquino, former Deputy Director of the Philippine National Police - Intelligence Group, might be granted bail by the United States court in connection with the espionage case as trial proper is set to start on October..(Manila Bulletin, 29 Mar 06)

US bugged Estrada, son JV, Lacson
The United States, starting from an unprecedented spying scandal in the White House allegedly involving Filipino-American Leandro Aragoncillo, had bugged former President Joseph Estrada and his son, Mayor Joseph Victor (JV) Ejercito of San Juan town in Metro Manila, official sources said…..(Inquirer7, 17 Mar 06)

Judge denies Aquino’s release
United States District Judge William H. Walls in Newark, New Jersey denied on Wednesday the motion for bail filed by former Philippine National Police (PNP) officer Michael Ray B. Aquino and ordered his continued detention. The judge ordered Aquino's continued detention pending trial because of "substantial risk of flight as he is facing serious charges both in the United States and in the Philippines"…..(Tempo, 20 Jan 06)

For 7 months, FBI clueless on Fil-Am spy, says report
By the government's own account, FBI analyst Leandro Aragoncillo was spying in plain sight. He rummaged through FBI computers for intelligence reports unrelated to his work and then e-mailed the classified documents to Filipino opposition leaders. Aragoncillo had traveled more than a dozen times to the Philippines on personal business since 2000. And records show he carried debt of at least a half-million dollars -- on Marine retirement pay and an entry-level FBI salary…..(Inquirer7, 19 Jan 06)

Estrada Plays Down Info Passed by American

A deposed president Wednesday played down the value of classified U.S. information that he and other leaders allegedly received from a Philippine-born FBI intelligence analyst…..(AP, 18 Jan 06)

Accused spy linked to plot in Philippines

The former White House and FBI intelligence analyst suspected of stealing classified U.S. information hoped to destabilize and overthrow the Philippines government, prosecutors contend. In a court filing yesterday, Justice Department officials say they have e-mails, wiretaps and other evidence to show Leandro Aragoncillo, a former career Marine from Gloucester County, was part of a broader conspiracy with current or former Philippine officials to oust the administration of President Gloria Arroyo….(Star-Ledger, 18 Jan 06)

FBI Missed Internal Signs of Espionage

The FBI's discovery of suspicious activities by one of its intelligence analysts was a stroke of luck, a tip by another federal agency that the FBI employee was behaving oddly. By the time the FBI arrested its analyst on spying charges, investigators said he had rummaged for months through government computers for sensitive intelligence reports unrelated to his work and then e-mailed the classified documents to opposition leaders in the Philippines…..(AP, 18 Jan 06)

Former president says love for country drove FBI analyst to spy

A Philippine-born FBI intelligence analyst charged with passing classified information to Filipino officials may have done so out of deep love for his homeland and should be treated leniently.…..(AP, 18 Jan 06)

FBI Missed Internal Signs of Espionage
By the government's own account, FBI analyst Leandro Aragoncillo was spying in plain sight. He rummaged through FBI computers for intelligence reports unrelated to his work and then e-mailed the classified documents to opposition leaders in the Philippines…..(Forbes, 17 Jan 06)

Timeline: Aragoncillo Espionage Case

A timeline in the case against FBI employee Leandro Aragoncillo, according to court documents, public records and interviews:…(AP, 17 Jan 06)

E-Mails, Documents in FBI Espionage Case

Some quotes in the case against an FBI intelligence analyst, Leandro Aragoncillo, 47, of Woodbury, N.J…..(AP, 17 Jan 06)

Aragoncillo plea bargaining extended
United States District Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz in Newark, New Jersey issued last November 28 an order approving the requests of both parties to extend for another 60 days the court proceedings against Leandro Aragoncillo in the controversial case of espionage…..(Tempo, 7 Dec 05)

DFA chief demands full report from US gov’t

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo yesterday demanded a full report from the US Embassy regarding the leaked American intelligence reports on Philippine political personalities involved in a plot to oust President Arroyo.….(Daily Tribune, 3 Nov 05)

Fil-Am FBI agent still links Aquino to espionage
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Reynaldo G. Wycoco disclosed that Fil-Am Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo implicated former Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino to espionage. This was disclosed by Wycoco, saying Aragoncillo still implicated Aquino to spying despite the not guilty plea entered by the former police officer during his arraignment…..(Tempo, 2 Nov 05)

U.S. Intel Chief Briefed on RP Political Situation
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo met over the weekend with United States Director for National Intelligence John Negroponte to brief the latter on the current political situation in the Philippines…..(Star, 1 Nov 05)

Shackled Aquino pleads 'not guilty' to spy raps

Michael Ray Aquino, appearing before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls, entered a not guilty plea on October 18th, through his court appointed lawyer, Mark A Berman. As the former deputy director of the Philippine National Police entered the courtroom at 11:15 a.m., clad in light green jail uniform and shackled at the wrists and ankles, he nodded to his wife, Fatima, and to his immigration lawyer, Felix Vinluan…..(Philippine News, 26 Oct 05)

More charges likely in espionage investigation

More charges are expected against a former Filipino police official already accused of passing classified information from an FBI intelligence analyst about Filipino leaders to current and former officials of that nation….(AP, 21 Oct 05)

Aquino pleads not guilty to espionage

Lawyers for Michael Ray Aquino, a former Philippine police officer who was indicted on Oct. 6 for allegedly conspiring with a Filipino-American FBI analyst in passing American intelligence secrets to past and present officials of the Philippine government, entered a ‘’not guilty’’ plea on his behalf at an arraignment before US District Judge William H. Walls….(Manila Bulletin, 21 Oct 05)

Former Filipino Official Pleads Not Guilty

A former Filipino police official pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he passed classified information about Filipino leaders obtained from an FBI intelligence analyst to current and former officials of that nation…..(AP, 20 Oct 05)

Ex-Filipino police official expected to plead not guilty

A former Filipino police official is expected to enter a not guilty plea at his arraignment today on charges he passed classified information from an FBI intelligence analyst about Filipino leaders to current and former officials of that nation. The FBI analyst has been in plea negotiations, leaving the possibility that Michael Ray Aquino could face the charges alone…..(Asbury Park Press, 20 Oct 05)

Philippine Spy Scandal Comes Amid Turmoil

His resume was impressive: decorated U.S. Marine sergeant; aide to Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney; FBI intelligence analyst. He bragged that he had attended meetings of the National Security Agency for Cheney, then briefed the vice president on what was said.…(LA Times, 17 Oct 05)

Plea bargain to make Michael Ray spill beans

The United States government has offered a plea bargain to Michael Ray Aquino, a former police officer, and Leandro Aragoncillo, an analyst at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who are both facing charges of espionage….(Manila Times, 17 Oct 05)

US to ask RP’s help on espionage case

The United States government, invoking the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, will request the Philippine government to provide evidence relative to the espionage case involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation analyst, Leandro Aragoncillo, and former police senior superintendent Michael Ray Aquino…..(Manila Times, 14 Oct 05)

Espionage investigation gains notice

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said yesterday the panel may widen an ongoing inquiry to include a look at the case of an accused spy who had previously worked at the White House. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) said in a telephone interview that the case of Leandro Aragoncillo, the former Marine who is charged with stealing secret documents while working as an FBI analyst at Fort Monmouth, likely will be joined with the committee's other probes….(Star-Ledger, 13 Oct 05)

Dacer case returns to haunt Ping’s aides

The Department of Justice will ask a Manila court to issue a warrant for the arrest of former police officials Michael Ray Aquino and Cesar Mancao as accused in the murder of the publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000……(Manila Times, 13 Oct 05)

Manila tries to convert 'spy' to whistleblower
The Arroyo administration is hoping that suspected Filipino American spy Leandro Aragoncillo will see the light and act as witness against those involved in the conspiracy to unseat President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. To attain this end of converting spy to whistleblower, the administration has promised to help Washington in prosecuting those who benefited from the confidential White House documents allegedly pilfered by Aragoncillo…..(Philippine News, 12 Oct 05)

Philippine govt volunteer to help US with spy case

The Philippine government Wednesday pledged to help the United States government in the investigation of the espionage case involving a Filipino-American FBI agent, Leandro Aragoncillo, and former Philippine police official Michael Ray Aquino as well as other local politicians whether from the opposition or the administration….(Xinhua Net, 12 Oct 05)

RP won't meddle in US espionage case: Arroyo aide

Malacanang said Tuesday it would let the US Government investigate who are the Philippine officials who benefited from the documents that spy Leandro Aragoncillo stole from Washington….(Sun-Star, 12 Oct 05)

Defensor says he met Aragoncillo

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Michael Defensor on Tuesday admitted he had met Leandro Aragoncillo, a former US Marine officer facing espionage charges in New Jersey, through former President Joseph Estrada....(Manila Times, 12 Oct 05)

NBI: Aragoncillo's docus ended in Reds' hands
Classified information allegedly stolen by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents analyst Leandro Aragoncillo may have ended up in the hands of communist rebels in the country, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Tuesday. NBI Interpol chief Ric Diaz said new information coming from Washington indicate that the communist movement, specifically the New People's Army (NPA), may have been a recipient of the stolen information…..(ABS-CBN, 11 Oct 05)

US Embassy denies hand in RP crisis
The US embassy in Manila has denied having a hand in the political turmoil in the Philippines and slammed as "distorted" news accounts of leaked secret files sent by American diplomats to Washington on opposition attempts to unseat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo…..(Inquirer7, 10 Oct 05)

More RP pols in spy case as US widens probe
The US Department of Justice could charge more Filipino politicians suspected of conspiring with Filipino American Leandro Aragoncillo in stealing confidential documents from the White House and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Bureau of Investigation said Monday….(ABS-CBN, 10 Oct 05)

A Spy Among U.S.?

It's bad enough that the FBI may have found another spy in its midst. But the fact that the alleged mole may have been able to keep e-mailing filched documents undetected even as the bureau was auditing him has powerful onlookers vexed.....(Time, 9 Oct 05)

Suspected Spy Traveled to Philippines

The retired U.S. Marine at the center of an espionage investigation at the FBI and White House traveled to the Philippines numerous times during the period in which he allegedly passed sensitive U.S. documents to opposition leaders here, official records show…..(Washington Post, 8 Oct 05)

FBI-Philippines Link Is Downplayed

Information that an FBI intelligence analyst passed to opposition politicians in his native Philippines amounted to little more than news summaries and should not be considered espionage, a former president who received the information said Friday…..(AP, 7 Oct 05)

New Spy Case Revives Concerns Over Security at F.B.I.

The widening investigation into an F.B.I. analyst suspected of passing intelligence to the Philippines is raising new concerns about the bureau's vulnerabilities in protecting its secrets from internal espionage…..(New York Times, 7 Oct 05)

NBI to conduct separate probe on Aragoncillo case
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday said it will investigate the US espionage scandal involving former US Marine Leandro Aragoncillo and former National Police senior superintendent Michael Ray Aquino due to reports they were supplying the opposition with documents from the White House and the Federal Bureau of Investigation…..(ABS-CBN, 7 Oct 05)

FBI Examines Computers in Cheney's Office

FBI agents examined computers in Vice President Dick Cheney's office and talked to former and current White House aides Thursday as they investigated an FBI intelligence analyst accused of passing classified information to Filipino officials….(AP, 7 Oct 05)

Estrada Says He Was Given U.S. Document

Former Philippine president Joseph Estrada says he first met Leandro Aragoncillo during a state visit to Washington in August 2000, when President Bill Clinton invited Aragoncillo and about 20 other Filipinos who worked at the White House to greet Estrada…..(Washington Post, 7 Oct 05)

Local man may assist spy probe

A Deptford Township man already charged with espionage and now under investigation for possibly passing classified information obtained when he worked at the White House may be cooperating with authorities…..(Gloucester County Times, 7 Oct 05)

Fil-Am tagged in White House espionage case
In what is believed to be the first espionage case involving the White House in recent years, a Filipino-American linked to the political opposition in the Philippines allegedly used his top secret clearance to steal classified information from Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, US broadcaster ABC News reported yesterday…..(Philippine Star, 7 Oct 05)

No Erap, Lacson link yet to Aragoncillo, says Interpol chief
The chief of the Interpol desk at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday said there is no evidence yet to link former president Joseph Estrada and Sen. Panfilo Lacson to the espionage case being charged against Leandro Agoncillo and former police official Michael Ray Aquino in the United States…..(ABS-CBN, 7 Oct 05)

Manila to probe opposition links to spy scandal

Philippine authorities said on Friday they had started an investigation to unmask opposition figures suspected of involvement in the theft of classified U.S. documents in a widening spy scandal…..(Reuters, 7 Oct 05)

Aragoncillo investigated over stolen White House papers
The White House is cooperating with an investigation into a former US Marine who worked in Vice President Dick Cheney's office and has been charged with supplying classified reports to the Philippines, a spokesman said on Wednesday…..(ABS-CBN, 6 Oct 05)

FBI checks if ex-Marine took info from White House

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating whether a former Marine took classified information from the White House when he worked in the vice president's office and passed it to Filipino officials, US government officials said…..(Sunstar, 6 Oct 05)

Espionage Case Suggests White House Security Problem

The discovery that a former White House staff member allegedly used his top secret clearance to steal classified intelligence documents indicates there are serious gaps in high-level White House security, a former White House counterterrorism expert says…..(ABC News, 6 Oct 05)

F.B.I. Widens Investigation in New Jersey Espionage Case

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday it had expanded a New Jersey espionage investigation in an effort to determine whether one of its own agents, charged last month with spying for the Philippines, might have also had improper access to classified information while working in Vice President Dick Cheney's office several years ago…..(New York Times, 6 Oct 05)

FBI arrests another spy in the White House, 'prevents' Philippine revolution

Another spy scandal has recently occurred in the USA. FBI agents arrested an employee from the team of US Vice President Dick Cheney…..(Pravada, 6 Oct 05)

Ex-Marine Is Under Scrutiny in Espionage Case

U.S. officials allege an FBI analyst who worked in the White House trafficked in classified documents with a Philippine operative…..(LA Times, 6 Oct 05)

Spy Probe Widens to Years Suspect Was at White House
The Justice Department is investigating whether a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Philippines stole classified documents while he worked in the office of Vice President Cheney and provided the information to opposition politicians in Manila, Bush administration officials said yesterday…..(Washington Post, 6 Oct 05)

Manila Says Espionage Case Is US Business

The Philippine government distanced itself on Thursday from a widening U.S. espionage scandal involving a former Philippine citizen, saying it was an internal American matter…..(Reuters, 6 Oct 05)

US spy probe of ex-Marine reaches to White House

The White House is cooperating with an investigation into a former U.S. Marine who worked in Vice President Dick Cheney's office and has been charged with supplying classified reports to the Philippines…(Reuters, 5 Oct 05)

The Filipino as ‘Agent Smart’
Yes, Olivia. We now have a Filipino “spy.” Actually, we have two. We’re no longer just nurses and nannies, computer programmers and chefs. We have breached the domain previously reserved for the likes of Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, Cold War operatives who sold Top Secret information to the Russians in exchange for Top Dollar…..(Philippine News, 5 Oct 05)

Bishops see US hand in RP political crisis
A number of Roman Catholic bishops believe that the United States had a hand in the worst political crisis to hit President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said in an interview yesterday over the Church-run Radio Veritas…..(Inquirer7, 3 Oct 05)

'Ninoy' not a spook, his lawyer says
…(Michael Ray) Aquino and FBI intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo were indicted on espionage charges Sept. 10. Court papers said the two “conspired with each other” to transmit classified information to public officials in the Philippines, and “acted knowingly” as agents of a foreign government. Aragoncillo, a U.S. citizen, faces a third count for downloading classified information and transferring it to his private computer. A preliminary hearing scheduled last Sept 21 was canceled after lawyers for the duo filed a waiver…..(Philippine News, 28 Sep 05)

US court allows visitors for Michael Ray Aquino
A US district court in New Jersey has allowed visitors for Michael Ray Aquino, among other requests, while the former Philippine National Police (PNP) official is detained at the Passaic County Jail on espionage charges….(ABS-CBN, 27 Sep 05)

Recipients of info to stay secret

The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday disclosed that the names of three Philippine government officials allegedly involved in the espionage case against former police officer Michael Ray Aquino might not be revealed. NBI spokeswoman Auralyn Pascual said the names of these officials might not have been included in the sealed documents that the Federal Bureau of Investigation submitted to a New Jersey court…..(Manila Times, 22 Sep 05)

NBI: Espionage documents silent on identities of 3 Filipino officials

The espionage documents do not reveal names of three former and incumbent Filipino officials, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said yesterday……(Tempo, 22 Sep 05)

Filipino "spy" moved money in Canada

…Michael Ray Aquino, a former cop from Manila was arrested early September along with Philippines-born FBI intelligence analyst, Leandro Aragoncillo, for allegedly stealing and passing classified information, some of which contained secret information about Filipino leaders. US authorities said the material pertained to sensitive information about the Philippines, which has been rocked by political crisis involving allegations of vote fraud against President Gloria Arroyo….(Asian Pacific Post, 21 Sep 05)

Miriam tells Ping, et al.: Go to US and face the music

…Speaking on Monday on ANC cable television, Santiago said that if she herself were charged in a US court, "I will voluntarily go there to explain myself. I wouldn't wait to be compelled by an extradition court ... to go there.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested and filed espionage charges against ex-Philippine National Police Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino and Filipino-American intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo in connection with an alleged theft of confidential FBI files dealing with the Philippines…..(Inquirer7, 21 Sep 05)

Michael Ray Aquino waives prelim hearing
Former police senior superintendent Michael Ray Aquino will not appear before a US district court in New Jersey on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), ABS-CBN News North America Bureau reported. Aquino has reportedly waived his preliminary hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit espionage….(ABS-CBN, 20 Sep 05)

United States knew of Arroyo coup plot

The U.S. Embassy in Manila had information that military groups were plotting to oust Philippine President Gloria Arroyo as early as April…..(UPI, 19 Sep 05)

Arroyo sidesteps US espionage case involving Philippine officials

Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said on Monday that she will keep her hands off the espionage case filed by the United States against Michael Ray Aquino, a former senior official of the Philippine National Police, and Leandro Aragoncillo, an intelligence analyst of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation….(Xinhuanet, 19 Sep 05)

Michael Ray Aquino caper: 'Controlled leak' gone wrong?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had a hand in the leak of classified information to Philippine officials, and tried to cover up when it was exposed to the media by suing its agent, according to retired Navy Commodore Rex Robles. "My assumption is that it's a controlled leak gone wrong," Robles, chief of the Philippine military intelligence service's domestic section in 1968-72, said yesterday in a phone interview….(Inquirer7, 17 Sep 05)

Wycoco: RP officials in espionage case 'good as charged'
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Reynaldo Wycoco on Friday said the three unnamed public officials implicated in the espionage case against former police officer Michael Ray Aquino and Federal Bureau of Investigation analyst Leandro Aragoncillo are already "good as charged."….(ABS-CBN, 16 Sep 05)

Why 'spy' on RP? It's normal, says US diplomat

Instead of ganging up on the opposition after the arrest of former police Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, administration officials should be more concerned about the extent of American intelligence gathering in the country, House Minority Leader Francis Escudero said yesterday…..(Inquirer7, 16 Sep 05)

Espionage, sovereignty and privacy

Michael Ray Aquino, who skipped the country at the height of the Kuratong Baleleng rubout scandal, was arrested in the US for espionage along with Leandro Aragoncillo, a Federal Bureau of Intelligence analyst and a naturalized US citizen. According to the FBI, Aragoncillo downloaded 101 files at the Fort Monmouth Army base in New Jersey and sent them to Aquino who, in turn, transmitted the information back to Manila to the three national-level public officials….(Manila Standard Today, 15 Sep 05)

FBI analyst accused of spy activity
An FBI intelligence analyst employed at Fort Monmouth and a one-time official with the Philippines National Police have been charged by federal authorities with acting as unregistered agents of a foreign officer and passing classified information via e-mail to that officer and others in the Republic of the Philippines….(Atlanticville, 15 Sep 05)

Former Marine, Filippino charged with espionage
A former Marine administrative chief and a former official with the Philippines National Police were arrested and charged with espionage Sept. 10, according to the office of the U.S. District Attorney in New Jersey…..(Marine Times, 15 Sep 05)

Lawmakers seek full probe of Aquino espionage; gov’t to provide legal aid
….(Tempo, 15 Sep 05)

Mongaya: Who is behind Michael Ray Aquino?

Michael Ray Aquino, the former police superintendent and loyal aide of then police director Panfilo Lacson, was finally bagged in the United States where he had been hiding.….(Sun-Star, 15 Sep 05)

RP to hand over 3 officials linked to spy case

The Philippine Government is willing to turn over three public officials tagged by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in connection with the espionage case filed against former police official Michael Ray Aquino in the US, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. said….(Sun-Star, 15 Sep 05)

FBI to reveal RP officials in Aquino link
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will reveal next week the names of former and current Philippine government officials who allegedly received classified US government documents sent by Michael Ray Aquino….(ABS-CBN, 15 Sep 05)

Former top cop nabbed for 'espionage' in US
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed Tuesday the arrest on Monday of former police superintendent Michael Ray Aquino in New York City for alleged espionage. NBI Interpol chief Ricardo Diaz said they received a report from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that Aquino, who is a licensed caregiver based in New York, and his suspected cohort FBI analyst Leandro Aragoncillo, a Filipino-American citizen, were arrested last September 12 for stealing classified documents related to the Philippines….(Sun-Star, 14 Sep 05)

Filipino admits receiving U.S. data, but not secrets

A senator in the Philippines admitted yesterday he is "probably" one of the officials the FBI has said received classified documents through a spy at Fort Monmouth. In statements printed in several Filipino newspapers, Panfilo Lacson -- a key opposition leader to Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -- acknowledged receiving e-mails that are at issue in the spying case. He denied the information was classified. "There is no spying against the U.S. government," he said. ….(Star-Ledger, 14 Sep 05)

US to charge Filipinos in spy case, says official

U.S. authorities plan to file charges against three high-ranking Filipinos who they believe received copies of classified documents leaked from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a Philippine official said on Wednesday….(Reuters, 14 Sep 05)

Ping kept in touch with Protege

Sen. Panfilo Lacson has remained in contact over the years with his protégé, cashiered police Senior Superintendent Michael Ray "Ninoy" Aquino, who was arrested in the United States last Saturday on charges of espionage….(Star, 14 Sep 05)

Gov't to aid ex-police official nabbed for 'espionage'
The government would just monitor developments in the case filed against former National Police deputy director Michael Ray Aquino who was arrested in the US last Monday and extend whatever assistance he might need particularly in defending himself…..(Sun Star, 14 Sep 05)

FBI arrests Lacson aide for espionage

MICHAEL RAY AQUINO, a former high police official indicted for the murder of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver in November 2000, was arrested Saturday in New York on espionage charges. Also arrested with Aquino, a close associate of Senator Panfilo Lacson, was a Federal Bureau of Investigation intelligence analyst......(Philippine Daily Inquirer, 14 Sept 05)

Lacson expects gov't to link him to case

OPPOSITION Senator Panfilo "Ping” Lacson yesterday acknowledged receiving e-mails from his former aide, Michael Ray Aquino, since January this year, but he said these were mostly compilations of articles and "gossip” about the political situation in the country....(Philippine Daily Inquirer, 14 Sept 05)

Fugitive ex-cop arrested in NY

Former police superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, along with an employee of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was arrested last Monday in New York City for alleged espionage...(Sun-Star, 14 Sept 05)

2 Pinoys nabbed in US for spying
Former Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) analyst were arrested and charged with espionage on Monday (U.S. time) after the federal agent was found passing classified information about Filipino leaders to incumbent and former officials of the Philippines.....(Tempo, 14 Sept 05)

FBI nabs Ping aide; 3 pols face spy raps

The US government will file criminal charges against three prominent people in the Philippines, two of them public officials, after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested a trusted aide of Senator Panfilo Lacson for conspiracy to steal classified information on key Filipino personalities.....(Manila Standard, 14 Sept 05)

Two Men Are Charged With Passing Secrets to Philippines

A Federal Bureau of Investigation intelligence analyst and a former top Philippines law enforcement official were charged in federal court on Monday with espionage. Arrested were the F.B.I. analyst, Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, of Woodbury, N.J., a naturalized United States citizen who was born in the Philippines, and Michael Ray Aquino, 39, of Queens, a former deputy director of the Philippines National Police under the government of the former president Joseph Estrada…..(New York Times, 13 Sep 05)

3 RP govt execs linked to Michael Ray face FBI raps
Three Philippine government officials will also be charged in connection with Michael Ray Aquino's arrest for allegedly stealing classified information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation…..(ABS-CBN, 13 Sep 05)

U.S. asks Manila to uncover suspected spy links

The United States has asked the Philippines to help it trace recipients of classified documents suspected to have been stolen by a former Filipino police officer and an FBI employee…..(Reuters, 13 Sep 05)

Ex-Marine accused in spy case

A Gloucester County man who worked as an FBI intelligence analyst is accused of passing top-secret information to officials in the Philippines. Leandro Aragoncillo…..(Courier-Post, 13 Sep 05)

Ft. Monmouth analyst faces spy charges

…Federal prosecutors said Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, a highly decorated former Marine living in South Jersey, downloaded at least 100 classified or secret documents from the fort's FBI computer systems between May and August and e-mailed them to officials in the Philippines…..(Star Ledger, 13 Sep 05)

N.J. man charged with spy plot

A 21-year Marine Corps veteran hired last year as an FBI intelligence analyst was charged Monday with passing classified information to current and former officials of the Philippines.......(North Jersey, 13 Sep 05)

FBI analyst at fort charged as spy

…The charges, which were unsealed Monday, accuse Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, of Deptford — also known as Juan Miguel — and Michael Ray "Ninoy" Aquino, 39, of Queens, with conspiracy and acting as unregistered agents of a foreign country.….(Asbury Park Press, 13 Sep 05)

FBI Intel Analyst Charged With Spying

An FBI intelligence analyst with top secret clearance was charged Monday with passing classified information about Filipino leaders to current and former officials of that nation….(AP, 12 Sep 05)

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