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Saturday, January 14, 2006
Arrest of 4 US Marines in rape case ordered
MANILA -- The Olongapo City court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for four US servicemen accused of "allegedly raping a 22-year-old Filipino woman in Subic last November 1."
Judge Renato Dilag of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) said he found probable cause to order the arrest of US Marine Staff Sergeant Chad Brian Carpentier and Corporals Daniel Smith, Keith Silkwood, and Dominic Duplantis.
Dilag directed the court sheriff to let the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) serve the arrest warrant.
Olongapo City Prosecutor Prudencio Jalandoni said although an arrest warrant has been issued against the four US soldiers, this would still pass through a process in accordance with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Under the agreement, the four will stay in the custody of the US Embassy in Manila pending the resolution of the case.
Jalandoni said the NBI should course the warrants through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which would subsequently coordinate with the US Embassy in serving the warrants to the US soldiers.
According to Gilbert Asuque, DFA spokesperson, the serving of arrest warrants on the four US Marines should be based on the VFA.
He said there should be diplomatic negotiations between the DFA and the US Embassy concerning the case.
Asuque said with the development, he is hoping that the US Government would agree to place the accused under the custody of the Philippine government.
He said the Philippine government maintains its position to have custody of the four US soldiers while the rape case is being heard in court.
The victim filed a rape case against the four US soldiers accusing them of gang raping her inside a van on All Saints' Day at the Subic Freeport. She said she met the US Marines who dragged her into a rented van where she was allegedly gang-raped.
Two other US Marines had also been included in the charge but the Olongapo City Prosecutor's Office cleared them during the preliminary investigation. The Filipino driver of the van, Timoteo Soriano Jr., was also excluded from the list of accused. (JFF/Sunnex)
(January 14, 2006 issue)
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