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Tuesday, November 08, 2005
PB condemns ‘rape’ of Pinay by US marines
The Cebu Provincial Board (PB)denounces the alleged gang rape of a 22-year-old Filipina by five US Marine soldiers last Nov. 1 at the Subic Bay Freeport.
PB Member Agnes Mag-pale, who sponsored the resolution, said “the uncanny, yet serious charges, if proven to be true, is a direct affront to the dignity of the Filipinos and a sheer insult to our country and to the rule of law.”
PB Member Victor Ma-ambong, for his part, suggested urging the Department of Justice to insist that the Philippines should have jurisdiction over the case.
The PB approved the resolution, which now included Maambong’s suggestion, in mass motion.
The woman is reportedly the daughter of an Army soldier and was in Subic to accompany a stepsister who was set to meet her boyfriend.
According to witnesses’ accounts, the victim, her sister and the latter’s boyfriend went barhopping. The victim, however, chose to stay longer at the bar.
At the bar, the victim met the five suspects, who later made her ride the van. The van’s driver said he wasn’t sure if the victim was lucid at this point.
It was while the van was going around Dewey Avenue when the alleged rape took place. The whole incident took about 15 to 20 minutes, the driver said.
Like a pig
The woman was later unloaded at Alava Pier, where eight people found her being carried like a pig by two Caucasians. It was only after the van left that the eight approached the victim.
A complaint has been filed against the five US servicemen, who are now in the custody of the US Embassy after they were barred from leaving the country.
Magpale, however, said the woman’s reputation is immaterial in this case. She was alluding to reports that the victim was reportedly a hospitality girl.
“Regardless of her stature—whether she is a hospitality girl, a college graduate or a very hospitable college graduate—rape is rape. We have to rally behind for the speedy resolution of the case,” said Magpale, who also authored the recently approved on final reading the Women Development Code of Cebu Province.
The Visiting Forces Agreement has a provision that cases involving US servicemen should be wrapped up in one year, otherwise, the country will lose the case. (MBG)
(November 8, 2005 issue)
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