DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                        2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                     Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-627-06                                                                                                                                                                                                                             25 July 2006

Philippine Consulate General, New York to continue consular assistance
for Michael Ray Aquino, who pleads guilty to espionage before US court  

25 July 2006 – The Philippine Consulate General in New York informed the Department of Foreign Affairs that consular assistance will continue to be extended to Mr. Michael Ray Aquino, a Filipino citizen, who pleaded guilty to two counts of espionage on 24 July 2006  

Acting Head of the Consulate Melita Sta. Maria Thomeczek forwarded to the Department the statement from the US Attorney’s Office stating that Mr. Aquino admitted to receiving documents containing national defense information from Mr. Leandro Aragoncillo, a former US Marine who worked at the Office of US Vice President Dick Cheney as an intelligence analyst. 

The US Attorney’s Office stated that, “On Oct. 6, 2005, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment against Aquino charging him with defrauding the United States by conspiring with Aragoncillo and others to receive classified information from Aragoncillo.” 

Mrs. Thomeczek further reported that Mr. Aquino, who has legal representation during the investigation and hearing of the case, entered a guilty plea before Judge William Walls who scheduled sentencing for 30 October 2006.  Under the terms of Mr. Aquino’s plea agreement, the parties will make their respective arguments at sentencing. The US Government calculates Mr. Aquino's sentence under the advisory US Sentencing Guidelines to be at least 70 months and up to 120 months, the US Attorney’s Office said. 

Consul Thomeczek assured the Department that the Consulate will continue to extend consular assistance to Mr. Aquino, who has a valid passport issued on September 2004. 

It will be recalled that the Philippine Consulate General in New York, USA, made representations with the Passaic Country jail, where Mr. Aquino is detained, for access to the facility “sun room,” visitation by his wife and child, and religious articles.”   (Please refer to press release SFA-AGR-682-05, dated 26 September 2005, for the background information.) END

/gary

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