Reuters: Manila bows to U.S. over custody of convicted rapist

[Eugene]

Manila bows to U.S. over custody of convicted rapist

By Dolly Aglay
Reuters
Friday, December 29, 2006; 11:49 PM

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines has bowed to pressure from Washington over custody
of a U.S. Marine convicted of raping a Filipina, transferring him to the American
embassy in Manila.

Police and the U.S. embassy spokesman said Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was taken from a
local jail late on Friday.

His case has become a headache for the government, which agrees with Washington that
under the terms of a Visiting Forces Agreement he should remain in U.S. custody while he
appeals.

On December 4, a local court sent the 21-year-old to a Manila jail, jeopardizing the
Philippines' close security alliance with its former colonial master.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/29/AR2006122902080.html

Related: Anger in Philippines over US marine transfer - AFP

[IndianaGreen]

1. Where are the victim advocates now? Where is Wendy Murphy?

This puke is going to be living in luxury in the American Embassy compound, while justice remains to be carried out.

US military is always lenient with raping troops, particularly when their victims are women of colour.

[saigon68]

4. More military thugs, get to walk scott free

As this guy was "Mounting Up" his Marine friends were cheering him on.

From one of the sources------

Last week, the embassy caused a stir saying the issue of diplomatic immunity prevented Navy investigators from testifying.

Philippine prosecutors accused it of holding up the proceedings and Judge Benjamin Pozon gave US officials until Wednesday to allow the witnesses to appear in court.

Prosecutors allege Smith raped the woman inside the van, while Lance Corporal Keith Silkwood, Lance Corporal Dominic Duplantis and Staff Sergeant Chad Carpentier cheered him on. The Marines had just finished counter-terrorism maneuvers with Philippine troops.

[lumpy]

2. American justice.

Smith was convicted of rape by the Philippine authorities. He should be sentenced by the Philippine courts to insure justice is srved for the crime he committed. Arroyo is another US puppet Philippine president just as corrupt as Marcos.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Apparently crime pays, if the victim is a furriner.

The only reason the case was allowed to go to trial was because she came from a very powerful Philippine family.

So he's going to be protected from the consequences of his actions. Poor, poor little thang. Those mean, less-than-white furrin peoples was gonna toss his ass in jail. We just can't have that, can we?

I hope he swallows his tongue and chokes. God forbid justice should be done, right?





Count Floyd, Lance Corporal Daniel Smith: separated at birth?

[ellisonz]

5. That's one ugly fella...

he should have just gone to Subic and got a whore. Really. :nopity:

[Judi Lynn]

6. Oh, heck, yeah! That's what his mother always does. n/t

[oblivious]

7. It's nice to see the Philippines is starting to face reality about the US as a partner.

The US cancelled next year's war games as punishment to PI for not turning the rapist over to the embassy.

RP-U.S. War Games Cancelled Due To Smith Custody
December 23, 2006 3:45 p.m. EST
Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The U.S. Pacific Command chief canceled the annual RP-US war games this year. The action came after the Makati Regional Trial Court and the Court of Appeals refused to hand over an American soldier convicted of raping a Filipino woman to U.S. custody.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005947007

And the Arroyo administration caved in, as expected.

U.S. cancels Philippine war games over rape spat
2006/12/23 MANILA, Reuters
The United States said on Friday it was pulling the plug on annual joint military exercises with the Philippines next year in an escalating dispute over custody of a U.S. Marine convicted of raping a local woman.

The case of Lance Corporal Daniel Smith has become a major headache for the Philippine government, which agrees with Washington that under the terms of a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) he should remain in U.S. custody while he appeals.

But a local court has defied the government and sent the 21-year-old to a Manila jail, jeopardizing the Philippines' close security alliance with its former colonial master.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/asiapacific/20061223/98260.htm

But maybe their attitude is changing. They need the US for the technology. But it's not just one-way.

Thursday, December 28, 2006
AFP to US troops: You’ll miss us, too
The Philippines may need US war technology but the scuttling of the joint Balikatan war games will cost American troops’ valuable training on fighting guerrilla armies.

“The training is symbiotic,” the Armed Forces public information chief, Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, reminded the US government on Wednesday.

“They learn from us, like guerrilla warfare. Of course, there’s loss of training opportunity for them,” Bacarro told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/dec/28/yehey/top_stories/20061228top2.html

So now they're looking for other partners.

Palace looks beyond US for military aid, training
By Joyce Pangco Pañares
MALACAÑANG wants the defense department to pursue military exercises with other countries to reduce the country’s dependence on the United States for military aid and training.

The order to seek new agreements comes on the heels of Washington’s suspension of the Balikatan joint military exercises for next year after it failed to gain custody of convicted rapist US marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith.

“The President is really not happy that Balikatan has been cancelled and that the US government is taking the executive to task on the matter of custody when they are aware that there is a separation of powers in a democracy,” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.

“People can call it whatever they want—pressure or something else—but they know the executive cannot just order the courts,” he said.

He announced that the defense department was already negotiating an agreement with Australia to allow its troops to hold anti-terrorism drills in Mindanao.

Before resigning last month, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. said the war games agreement with Australia could be used as a template for similar defense arrangements with Southeast Asian states such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news3_dec28_2006

[Vidar]

8. Sadly, the Philippines will never be free while we have a base there.