NEWSFLASH

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ALMA CONCEPCION HOME FREE THIS WEEK

Manila, Aug. 25, 1998 - Alma Concepcion could be free and flying home this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday .

The announcement came following the US Federal District Court's decision to drop the initial charge of drug felony (possession and importation of a controlled substance) and instead file a ''single charge of misprision of a felony'' against the beauty -queen-turned-actress.

Alma was caught by authorities at the Guam airport last month in possession of a small quantity of methamphetamine hydrochloride, known in the Philippines as 'shabu' and referred to by US police as ice.

Concepcion had pleaded guilty to the charge of ''misprision of a felony'' which, under federal law is ''the concealment of the knowledge of a felony.'' This prompted Judge John Unpingco of the US Federal Court to approve the plea bargain agreement negotiated by Concepcion's lawyer Patrick Civille.

Under the agreement, Alma's sentence is for a 20-day imprisonment, a fine of US$5,000 ''to be credited to a federal drug campaign program,'' and she must agree to undergo a drug counselling/rehabilitation program.

Because she has been detained since her day of arrest on July 28, she is expected to be immediately released as the court will consider her initial detention as "time served."

The Philippine foreign affairs office statement explained that the US Federal District Court decided to drop the initial drug felony charge ''in recognition of the fact that the quantity of shabu found with Alma was very small and not intended for distribution in Guam.'' The actress's clean record also helped her case, the DFA noted.