Jimenez release reset to Dec 13
The release of former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez from the US Bureau of Federal Prisons has been reset to December 13, ANC reported Tuesday.
ABS-CBN North America Bureau chief Ging Reyes reported that Jimenez, who was originally scheduled for release last November 5, would have to wait a few more weeks before being released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
Philippine Consul Lourdes Legaspi told Reyes that the Bureau of Federal Prisons had reset Jimenez’s release to December 13 because he committed an infraction. Legaspi did not say what the infraction was, which could have been a violation of prison rules.
US authorities said he will be turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after his release. They said the ICE will schedule Jimenez's return to the Philippines after he had served his sentence.
Jimenez, a former member of the 12th Congress, was extradited to the US last Dec. 26, 2002, on charges of tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the US and commit election-financing offenses.
Jimenez was found to have illegally contributed millions of dollars to the presidential campaign of then President Bill Clinton. A US Federal Court sentenced him to 27 months of imprisonment and was ordered to pay the US government $1.2-million restitution.
Jimenez has accused Perez of extortion when the former justice chief allegedly demanded $2 million from him in exchange for the approval of a contract with the Argentine firm IMPSA.
The IMPSA deal was approved by the Arroyo administration just two days after President Arroyo was installed to power in January 2001.
The former Manila congressman claimed he gave P8 million to the Lualhati Foundation of Mrs. Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo. Both have denied the allegations.
Jimenez a no-show at NAIA
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer News ServiceFORMER Manila Representative Mark Jimenez, imprisoned in the United States for making illegal campaign contributions, failed to arrive on his scheduled flight from South Korea on Tuesday morning.
Jimenez was not on board the Korean Airlines KE 621 that landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
Angelito Magno, executive officer of the National Bureau of Investigation-NAIA, was at the airport terminal to document Jimenez's arrival but the former congressman was not among the passengers who disembarked from the plane that came from Inchon.
Magno had with him deportation papers from the US Homeland Security dated November 2 stating the Jimenez was to arrive in Manila on board that flight.
The NBI will call the US Embassy to inquire what happened to Jimenez.