Read article--The Crossroads of History: The Struggle against Jihad and Supremacist Ideologies

"....The true challenge of Islamic supremacism to America and the free world is not about Islam, Islamism, or terrorism, but about us.

It is a historic challenge to determine whether we truly have the courage of our convictions on equality and liberty and we are willing to fight for these ideals, or if we will instead accept the continuing growth of anti-freedom ideologies here and around the world...."

Counterintelligence - Espionage - Spy Case

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	Sentenced to 10 years in prison on 18 July 2007	Sentenced to 76 months (6+ years) in prison on 17 July 2007

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:

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)