US Back in the Philippines: Six Marines Gang Rape Young Filipina Student
Bulatlat (The Philippines)
Subic Rape Stirs Echoes of U.S. Military Atrocities in Mindanao
Members of the women's groups Gabriela and Gabriela Women's Party
(GWP) picketed the U.S. Embassy in Manila Nov. 5 to condemn the rape
of a 22-year-old Filipina in Subic, Zambales (138 kms. north of
Manila) by six U.S. Marine servicemen four days before. They demanded
the pull-out of U.S. troops from the Philippines and called on the
government to take custody of the six servicemen.
The six suspects – Keith Silkwood, Daniel Smith, Albert Lara, Dominic
Duplantis, Corey Barris and Chad Carpenter – have been participating
in the past few months in the joint Philippine-U.S. Balikatan
military exercises in the former American naval base. They are
presently under the custody of the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
Initial findings from Subic police show that the victim, a college
graduate from Zamboanga taking a vacation in Subic, was at a karaoke
bar Nov. 1 when she met the six suspects, who reportedly took her
with them into a rented van. An eyewitness saw her a few hours later
being dumped on the road, unconscious, only wearing panties, from a
van.
A medico-legal examination confirmed the woman was raped.
The rape case is one of the many atrocities committed by US troops in
the conduct of joint US-RP exercises. We recall the incident in
Manarapan, Carmen, North Cotabato in mid-2004, where one elderly
woman, fearing that a military operation was underway, died of a
heart attack in the panic that followed the arrival of US
reconnaissance troops in two helicopters and trucks.
BY INITIATIVES FOR PEACE IN MINDANAO
Posted by Bulatlat
While there is public outcry for justice for the 22-year-old woman
from Zamboanga who was raped by six US Marines in Subic, InPeace
Mindanao likewise calls for the immediate pull-out of US troops in
Mindanao and the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)
and the Mutual Defense Treaty.
The rape case is one of the many atrocities committed by US troops in
the conduct of joint US-RP exercises. We recall the incident in
Manarapan, Carmen, North Cotabato in mid-2004, where one elderly
woman, fearing that a military operation was underway, died of a
heart attack in the panic that followed the arrival of US
reconnaissance troops in two helicopters and trucks. Until now, no
action has been made by either the US or Philippine government to
investigate this incident and indemnify the victim's family.
We also recall the case of Buyongbuyong Isnijal of Tuburan, Basilan
in July 25, 2002 who was shot by a US soldier during a raid of his
village in the course of the Balikatan exercises. The AFP continues
to cover up a clear case of frustrated murder by US soldiers by
claiming that Isnijal is an Abu Sayyaf member although he was
actually shot when he was defenseless at his home in full view of his
family.
These recent incidents, not to mention the countless abuses in the
course of the US military bases' stay in Olongapo and Angeles, give
credence to the call to stop the US-led "war on terror" supported by
the Arroyo government and to scrap the lopsided VFA and MDT. US
troops, who arrogate upon themselves the role of "countering
terrorism," are in fact the ones sowing terror, indignity and
violence to our people and communities where these exercises are
held.
The rape incident brings to mind the many incidences of sexual
violence committed by US soldiers during the US Bases' stay. As the
Gabriela organization had reported, there were 82 cases of sexual
abuses against women and 15 cases against children perpetrated by US
soldiers before the US Bases Agreement was terminated in September
1991.
The incident also echoes rape cases in US military installations in
other countries particularly that of a 12-year-old girl by three US
soldiers stationed in the American bases of Okinawa, Japan in 1996.
The rape and the many other indignities suffered by Japanese peasants
in Okinawa have made the US bases there very unpopular and are poised
to be booted out.
With the Subic rape disclosure, we are emboldened to vigorously
oppose any move by the Philippine and Japanese governments to effect
the transfer of the Okinawa Bases to Mindanao as reported by the
Japanese press early this year. (Talks between Philippine and
Japanese defense officials reportedly took place in February 9 this
year. A "consultative meeting" between US and Japanese defense and
foreign officials also reportedly began February 19 in Washington to
hammer out a new security pact which involves transferring US forces
from Okinawa and "making them mobile and near 'security hotspots' and
anti-terrorist operations." This, even as there already have been
media reports of US construction of a naval base in G'lan, Sarangani
Province.)
The Arroyo government is to be made accountable for its impending
total surrender of jurisdiction over the criminal US soldiers in the
Subic rape case. By its inactions over reported US troops' atrocities
in the past, and by flaunting its support to the Bush-led "anti-
terror" war, this government has given tacit approval to the impunity
of US troops in violating our domestic laws. The fact that it has
left the handling of this case to the Department of Foreign Affairs
indicates that Malacañang does not want to ruffle American feathers,
much less exercise jurisdiction over this outrageous crime.
While it has demonstrated its utter lack of adherence to national
sovereignty and its apathy to the cries of the victims of US military
atrocities, the Arroyo government is demanded by our people and our
Constitution to uphold justice, defend our national dignity and stand
by our sovereignty.
We do not want another incident of a Filipina being raped, or a
farmer being shot, or the elderly being seized with fear. Again, we
reiterate our call to abrogate the VFA and the MDT, and pull out US
troops in Mindanao, the rest of the country and elsewhere. We also
demand for justice through the immediate prosecution of US soldiers
as well as the indemnification of all victims of violations committed
by US troops in the Philippines.
As a group advocating a just peace in Mindanao, we pledge to resist
the reign of US militarism in our island, in our country, and in the
rest of the world.
http://www.bulatlat.com/news/5-39/5-39-subic.htm
==
ANALYSIS
Gloria Will Stand by the U.S. in Subic Gang Rape
The record of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the Visiting
Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S. government reveals that she will
not likely support any legal action against five U.S. Marines who are
accused of gang-raping a Filipino woman on Nov. 1.
By Bulatlat
AGAINST THE YANKEES: U.S. Marines walk past the USS Essex, which
carried U.S. soldiers to the Philippines for the Balikatan military
exercises in Subic, Zambales (left photo), as women activists picket
the U.S. Embassy in Manila to demand justice for the Filipina raped
in the former U.S. naval base.
The record of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the Visiting
Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S. government reveals that she will
not likely support any legal action against five U.S. Marines who are
accused of gang- raping a Filipino woman on Nov. 1. To avoid another
irritant with the U.S. government, Macapagal-Arroyo has allowed other
officials most especially her foreign secretary for a reaction.
Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo has vowed to bring justice to the
case.
But all this may just be for show and cannot hide the fact that the
President, who continues to face calls for her removal from office,
has always stood by the side of the U.S. - even at the expense of her
own officials.
Then Vice President Teofisto Guingona was forced to resign his
concurrent post as foreign secretary sometime 2002 over
irreconcilable policy differences with Macapagal-Arroyo with regards
the VFA and the "Balikatan" war exercises between Philippine and U.S.
forces. Macapagal-Arroyo then appointed the pro-American Blas Ople to
replace Guingona.
Elmer Cato and lawyer Amado Valdes, two executive directors of the
VFA monitoring commission, which is under the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA), were sacked one after the other. Cato had warned about
many violations committed by visiting U.S. forces against the VFA
while Valdez had insisted on prosecuting three drunken U.S. soldiers
who rammed their vehicle at an electric post and a variety store in
Zamboanga City in 2003.
In exchange for the Philippines being given the status of a major non-
NATO ally, Macapagal-Arroyo signed an immunity agreement with U.S.
President George W. Bush, Jr. in 2003 protecting U.S. forces in the
Philippines from prosecution under the International Criminal Court
(ICC) Treaty.
Not one prosecuted
So far since the VFA took effect in 1999, none of the several U.S.
soldiers who were accused of committing offenses resulting in the
death or injury of a number of Filipino civilians have been
prosecuted. This is because either the suspects were spirited away by
their own military superiors or Philippine foreign affairs and
justice authorities appeared to lack any seriousness in bringing the
perpetrators to justice.
The reported rape of a 22-year-old Filipino woman in Subic may suffer
the same fate. The woman, a college graduate and not a sex worker,
was allegedly raped by five U.S. Marines. (A witness earlier said
there were six involved, namely, Keith Silkwood, Daniel Smith, Albert
Lara, Dominic Duplantis, Corey Barris and Chad Carpenter.)
Although a criminal complaint has been filed with the Olongapo
prosecutor's office, the rape suspects remain under the custody of
the U.S. Embassy. The alleged offense was committed not "in the
performance of official duty" and was well within Philippine law.
This should give the regional trial court in Olongapo exclusive
jurisdiction over the case. Under the VFA, however, this jurisdiction
does not confer on the Philippine government the right to keep the
accused in its custody. Any complaint filed against the suspects
should be heard within one year and while this is pending, the U.S.
soldiers remain in U.S. custody. If the case is not concluded in one
year, the accused can be sent back to the U.S.
With the VFA tilted in favor of the U.S. and Macapagal-Arroyo being
on record as fully subservient to U.S. military interests even if –
as progressive groups would put it - these are clearly
unconstitutional and an infringement on the country's sovereignty,
the new Olongapo rape case will most likely become another victim of
a whitewash. To forget everything and keep security ties between the
Philippines and the U.S. in good shape, an amicable settlement might
be forced upon the rape victim.
In the Philippines and in many other countries where there are U.S.
forces and facilities, it is a rarity that a crime committed by the
armed personnel of the world's only superpower is litigated
successfully in favor of the victim. Macapagal-Arroyo will just be
courting the ire of the U.S. if she pursues the Olongapo case to the
end especially at this time when she needs its continued support as
her regime continues to crumble.
How can one possibly expect a President who is accused of major
crimes ranging from electoral fraud to politically-motivated killings
to uphold Philippine laws? Bulatlat
http://www.bulatlat.com/news/5-39/5-39-gloria.htm
==
On rape of Filipina by U.S. Marines:
Women's Groups Picket U.S. Embassy, Demand U.S. Troops' Pull-out from
RP
Members of the women's groups Gabriela and Gabriela Women's Party
(GWP) picketed the U.S. Embassy in Manila Nov. 5 to condemn the rape
of a 22-year-old Filipina in Subic, Zambales (138 kms. north of
Manila) by six U.S. Marine servicemen on Nov. 1. They demanded the
pull-out of U.S. troops from the Philippines and called on the
government to take custody of the six servicemen.
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
TELL THAT TO THE MARINES: Women protesters burn U.S. flag near the
U.S. Embassy in Manila in protest against the rape of a Filipina by
U.S. Marines in Subic, Nov. 5
Members of the women's groups Gabriela and Gabriela Women's Party
(GWP) picketed the U.S. Embassy in Manila Nov. 5 to condemn the rape
of a 22-year-old Filipina in Subic, Zambales (138 kms. north of
Manila) by six U.S. Marine servicemen four days before. They demanded
the pull-out of U.S. troops from the Philippines and called on the
government to take custody of the six servicemen.
The six suspects – Keith Silkwood, Daniel Smith, Albert Lara, Dominic
Duplantis, Corey Barris and Chad Carpenter – have been participating
in the past few months in the joint Philippine-U.S. Balikatan
military exercises in the former American naval base. They are
presently under the custody of the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
Initial findings from Subic police show that the victim, a college
graduate from Zamboanga taking a vacation in Subic, was at a karaoke
bar Nov. 1 when she met the six suspects, who reportedly took her
with them into a rented van. An eyewitness saw her a few hours later
being dumped on the road, unconscious, only wearing panties, from a
van.
A medico-legal examination confirmed the woman was raped.
"When a Filipina is defiled of her honor in her own country by a
foreign military visitor, there should be no doubt nor delay in
assessing that this is an issue of particular importance and national
interest," said Cristina Palabay, GWP secretary-general. "The
Philippine government should immediately get custody of the suspects
and assume full and decisive jurisdiction on the case."
"Why shouldn't they be paraded like those suspects they are wont to
present in Malacañang every now and then?" Palabay added. "This is
clearly a heinous act and they should be surfaced, arrested and kept
in the custody of Philippine authorities, given no special treatment,
and prosecuted in our courts. We must at all times assert our
sovereignty in attaining full justice for a Filipino woman who has
been defiled."
"Junk VFA"
Meanwhile, an ecumenical women's organization has also reacted to the
rape by calling, among other things, for the abrogation of the
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
In a statement, the Ecumenical Women's Forum (EWF) condemned the rape
as "another display of gross disrespect, contempt and machismo" by
visiting U.S. military forces. "The rape of one woman is not a rape
of only one woman, but a completely dishonorable offense against the
whole nation!" the EWF statement read. "It is an act of terror
against the people!"
The EWF called for an investigation of the case, and demanded the
abrogation of the VFA. "It is not enough that the criminal justice
provisions of the VFA be applied in this case," the EWF statement
read. "While the trial is going on, all US troops must go and the VFA
abrogated. There should never be a second round of rape and abuse!"
The VFA, an agreement that grants extraterritorial and
extrajudicial "rights" to US servicemen visiting the Philippines for
military "exercises," was approved in 1999 by a Senate then dominated
by allies of former President Joseph Estrada.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was then vice president, was
among the proponents of the VFA. Three years later, she would also
approve the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), which allows
U.S. troops to bring military equipment and supplies into the country
from any point.
Both the VFA and the MLSA have been opposed by cause-oriented groups
and nationalists as affronts against Philippine sovereignty. In one
of his last columns before his death in 1999, the nationalist
historian and social critic Renato Constantino hit the VFA for
turning the country into a "huge military base."
U.S. servicemen stationed in the Philippines, particularly during the
times that the country hosted American military bases, have been
known to be involved in rapes and murders of Filipinos. The suspects
have invariably been able to escape Philippine justice through the
influence of the U.S. government.
Arroyo "also accountable"
In a related development, the Artists for the Removal of Gloria
(ARREST Gloria), a broad alliance of artists calling for the ouster
of Arroyo and the institutionalization of reforms beyond a
constitutional succession, assailed the President for her "deafening
silence" on the incident.
Macapagal-Arroyo has not issued a statement on the issue. In
contrast, Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and Justice Secretary Raul
Gonzalez have both gone on record as expressing support for efforts
at investigating and prosecuting the case.
"The perpetrators of this heinous crime shall be brought to justice,"
said Romulo. Meanwhile, Gonzalez said that the U.S. Embassy would
have to present the suspects once a case is filed against them in
court.
"While whether the two Cabinet secretaries will live up to their
seemingly bold statements still remains to be seen and there is
definitely a lot more that they could have said," the ARREST Gloria
statement read, "it is disgusting that two underlings have beaten
President Arroyo to the draw in issuing statements on this crime by
foreigners against one of our own."
"President Arroyo, who calls herself Ina ng Bayan (people's mother)
every chance she gets, carries the biggest responsibility in this
issue – having aggressively promoted the Balikatan military exercises
which brought the six rapists to this country in the first place,"
the ARREST Gloria statement further read.
ARREST Gloria – whose members include musicians Lourd de Veyra, Bobby
Balingit, and Dong Abay, the worker-based musical group Tambisan sa
Sining, multi-media group Southern Tagalog Exposure, and the poetry
group Kilometer 64 among others – also took the U.S. government to
task for "abandoning" the Philippines during its "most trying
moments" despite expressed commitments to defending the Philippines
militarily. It cited the large-scale evacuation of U.S. troops from
the Philippines just as the Japanese Imperial Army had begun attacks
in World War II, as well as the U.S. government's refusal to commit
military aid to the Philippines in the 1990s when its claim on the
Kalayaan Reef of the Spratly Islands was under threat from China –
despite the existence of a Mutual Defense Treaty.
"This is the kind of President we now have in Malacañang – a
President who chooses to uphold a farcical RP-U.S. military alliance
at the expense of the dignity of a fellow Filipina – all while
maintaining a presidency reacquired in the last election by
fraudulent means and driving the people into deeper and deeper penury
by the day," the ARREST Gloria statement further read. "The country
has no need for this kind of President." Bulatlat
http://www.bulatlat.com/news/5-39/5-39-rape.htm
=======
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