BY PETER J. G. TABINGO

CHARLIE "Atong" Ang was sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison by the Sandiganbayan Special Division yesterday after he pleaded guilty to indirect bribery in connection with corruption of public officials.

He was also ordered to pay P25 million in civil liability.

Ang’s lawyers Alfredo Villamor and Ruth Castelo said the prison term qualifies him for probation which means Ang could be out of detention in about three weeks. The lawyers filed the petition for probation before the start of the session.

Chief Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said the prosecution panel will not contest Ang’s petition for probation, adding it was a part of the plea bargaining agreement. "Magmumukha naman kaming traidor pag nag-oppose pa kami diyan," he said.

Ang, a co-accused of President Joseph Estrada in the P4.1 billion plunder case, admitted his role in the illegal diversion of P130 million tobacco excise tax funds and in handing illegal gambling payola.

He also confessed to pocketing P25 million of the tobacco funds.

On the prodding of Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro and Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz, Ang confirmed Estrada received the rest of the tobacco excise tax.

Ang offered his family’s mansion in Corinthian Gardens in Quezon City as payment for the civil liability but the graft court rejected it.

"As a rule, liability is paid in cash," De Castro said.

The graft court told Ang to raise P25 million in 15 days or before the ruling on his prison term becomes final and executory. Otherwise, he will not be qualified for probation.

Castelo said they will file a written motion asking the graft court to accept the mansion as the payment of civil liability.

Villa-Ignacio said Ang’s offer is acceptable, noting that the property could be worth more than P25 million.

Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz said the P25 million only covered Ang’s civil liability in the illegal diversion of tobacco excise funds.

He said Ang’s admissions in his plea-bargain deal included his involvement in jueteng which entails additional civil liability.

Villa-Ignacio said they are "already happy" with P25 million.

"We have already established our case against President Estrada and the other accused. If we pursue additional civil liabilities based on Ang’s admissions, it might create complications. We don’t want to do that," he said.

Ang went to the United States after Estrada was removed from power in 2001. He was arrested and held for one year in a federal prison in Las Vegas. He was placed under house arrest before he was extradited in November last year to face corruption charges.

Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol said the six-year prison term is appropriate.

"(And) since he entered into a plea bargaining arrangement, he will be entitled to mitigating circumstance so the sentence will go down. Sapat iyun based on mitigating circumstance and based on plea of guilt," Apostol said.

Luis "Chavit" Singson, the state witness in the plunder case, said Estrada should follow Ang’s example by admitting the charges before the idea of granting him presidential pardon could be considered.

"Umamin muna dapat siya at pagkatapos na iyun, saka natin pag-usapan ang pardon para matapos muna ang plunder. Magpakalalaki siya tulad ni Atong para matapos na din ang plunder case," he said. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Wendell Vigilia