ALMA CONCEPCION FACES 20-YEARS IN GUAM JAIL
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
(http://www.newsflash.org/).
============================================
ALMA CONCEPCION FACES 20-YEAR TERM IN GUAM
Manila, July 31, 1998 - The Philippine entertainment industry is still
shocked by the news that 1994 Binibining Pilipinas, actress Alma Concepcion,
faces the possibility of a 20-year prison term in Guam where she was
arrested for possession and importation of "shabu" also known in Guam as
"ice" and by police authorities worldwide as Methamphetamine Hydrochloride.
Alma was arrested at the Agana international airport immediately after
disembarking from an airplane that brought her from Saipan where she was the
guest of honor at a local beauty contest. According to the Agana Customs
director, the actress was "acting strange" at the time of the arrest.
Philippine Consul General to Guam Antonio Villamor told the Manila Standard
in a phone interview that, under United States laws, drug possession and
importation are a felony and federal offence, respectively.
In Manila, Interior Undersecretary Ronaldo Puno said the Philippine
government will extend all possible assistance to Alma.
A U.S. federal officer told a Manila television interviewer yesterday
afternoon Concepcion could face a jail term of five to 20 years, depending
on past records. As of yesterday, Concepcion and her lawyer, Patrick
Civille, were still in the attorney general's office in Guam and charges
were still being readied against her.
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Concepcion, who is "being
romantically linked to a high official in the Estrada administration"
may have to fork out bail going as high as $50,000 for drug-related offenses.
In Manila, her manager Cesar Evangelista told the Manila Standard that Alma
has never been known by anyone in the entertainment world to be a user of
any illegal drugs.
Alma left the Philippines last Friday, July 24 for the Saipan beauty
pageant and was scheduled to return last Monday, July 27, in time to attend
classes at a business school.
Alma had earlier figured in a national controversy after the University of
Santo Tomas kicked her out of school for appearing in bold movies. The
incident provoked the Philippine Senate to conduct a thorough investigation
of the Philippine film industry and of school policies.
BENJAMIN L. GUADIZ
<in...@newsflash.org> writes:
>
>Sample news items appearing at the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
>(http://www.newsflash.org/).
>============================================
>
>
>ALMA CONCEPCION FACES 20-YEAR TERM IN GUAM
>
>Manila, July 31, 1998 - The Philippine entertainment industry is still
>shocked by the news that 1994 Binibining Pilipinas, actress Alma
Concepcion,
>faces the possibility of a 20-year prison term in Guam where she was
>arrested for possession and importation of "shabu" also known in Guam
as
>"ice" and by police authorities worldwide as Methamphetamine
Hydrochloride.
=============
MY TURN:
Render her that legal right of "suspect's presumption of
innocence" even in the face of a high probability of guilt
based on the evidence obtained.
However, if found guilty of felony possession and
unlawful importation beyond a reasonable doubt, have her
taste the "delectable" confines of a Guam jail to the
fullest extent possible under the law. Prayer for
leniency and/or parole not precluded.
I assume the Philippine actress is not a teen-ager
or early adolescent but should have known or was in a
reasonable position to know the illegality of her
irresponsible voluntary act(s). Even should I be wrong
as to her chronological age, it is imperative she should
have known ***B-E-T-T-E-R*** !!!
manong ben
bl...@ix.netcom.com
bl...@earthlink.net
rcd...@i-manila.com.ph
Glendora, CA 91740
USA