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Friday, June 02, 2006
4 US Marines in Subic rape case appear in court (12:44 p.m.)
MANILA -- A Filipino woman allegedly raped by four US Marines last year was expected to face the servicemen for the first time in court Friday.
Evalyn Ursua, a lawyer for the 22-year-old woman who was not identified, said prosecutors were set to present two witnesses to corroborate the woman's claim that she was raped in a van by one of
the Marines as the others cheered him on.
Ursua said the woman - referred to only as "Nicole" - will be present at the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) in what would be her first encounter with the Marines since the alleged rape occurred in November.
Lawyers for the American defendants earlier said their clients also would be present in court Friday as well for the rest of the marathon hearings scheduled four times a week.
The rape charges against the four are punishable by up to 40 years in jail. The Marines have refused to answer the charges, prompting the judge to enter a not guilty plea for them.
They are Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, Lance Corporal Keith Silkwood, Lance Corporal Dominic Duplantis and Staff Sergeant Chad Carpentier, members of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Force stationed on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.
They had finished counterterrorism maneuvers with Filipino troops when the alleged rape occurred in a van at the former US Subic Bay Naval base near Olongapo city, west of Manila.
The US Embassy has refused to turn them over to Philippine police, citing a provision under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that lets U.S. authorities hold American servicemen facing a criminal
case.
US officials have refused to disclose their hometowns. (AP) |
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