Accomplice
If the end of the preliminary investigation on the Subic rape case last Friday proved anything, it is the government's continuing subservience to the US by its refusal to at least, even pretend to stand for the serving of justice to the Filipina victim.
The news reports gave us a glimpse of what was really happening: Timoteo Soriano, the driver of the van rented by the US soldiers, retracted his earlier statement on the gang rape. This, seemingly, was because of the move of the Olongapo prosecutor's office to line him up as a respondent/accused, an accomplice, instead of a prime witness.
The objective: to reduce the case into a simple criminal case and erase its national and political character (since the accused are now not only American soldiers). Also, this is to serve as blackmail in order to prevent the driver from divulging information that might implicate him.
It also showed how the US played their propaganda game during the preliminary investigation hearings. All of the soldiers, except Smith, submitted their affidavits denying the gang rape. Agents from the Navy Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) of the US, then submits a "report" that Smith allegedly claims that he and the victim had consensusual sex. This could have, somehow, strengthened the case for it was an admission that they had sex, (the lawyers only now needed to prove that it was rape).
But then again no, it was not recognized by the city prosecutor's office as a statement from Smith. It served however to appear to the public that all of the soldiers have denied the accusation of gang rape.
Still not convinced the government is setting this case up in favor of the Americans? Reading these news reports might help clear your mind:
DoJ Sec. Raul Gonzalez, rejects the motion of Katrina Legarda, lawyer of the victim, to transfer the case to Manila.
The notion was sound as it was argued then that this was a national matter and that the Olongapo City prosecutor's office gives undue leniency towards US soldiers (as what has been proven now). Why did Gonzalez reject the motion?
Legarda says DoJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez, upon receiving a phone call from the US embassy, hands over the custody of the accused soldiers to the US.
Gonzalez, it shows, has a "little brown brother syndrome." That's why.
The Olongapo State Prosecutor's Office, promised a "thorough investigation." But hey, why would they not want to test the DNA?
It becomes clearer by the day. This government will definitely not stand for our national sovereignty and our people's dignity. We must intensify the movement to oust the present regime, or else, we will continue to suffer under a government that will always be, to the rape of our people, an accomplice.
Read the Filipino article posted by LFS on the issue here. ###
posted by Vencer @ 1:16 PM
4 Comments:
galingan nyo sa hong kong young radicals. :)
Hey, look. GMA is doing what she has to. She likes living in the palace. She likes to sit and mingle with world leaders, some of whom, I suppose, are exactly like her. Who knows, they may even be trading poniters on how to stay in power.
Now, if Uncle Sam withdraws their support of GMA, even a mere hint, then shes out. But we already know this. So what's the big deal with this one(case)? We have been cow towing to Uncle Sam from the time they entered Manila Bay to nudge the Spaniards out (for those who don't know, we have been doing the heavy pushing).
Gonzalez is nothing. Wait until Miriam gets in there, then we really have something the bitch about.
It's not surprising. We're all second-class citizens in our country. It's not just the courts. It's in our mentality. It's the way we opened ourselves to globalization. It's the way we regale the country with foreign products. It's the way we kill our own small entrepreneurs, our own fishermen, our own farmers. It's the way we treat foreign products as superior over local ones. It's the way we feel for our relatives in the country, pity them because they don't have enough chocolates and sausages, so we give them loads of these in balikbayan boxes, pity them because they're content to live in shanties when they can earn dollars in the States and luxury at the palm of their hands. What does 1/5 of the populace wanting to get out of the country for good say about ourselves? There's no national interest in this country. There's only national subservience. There's only national apathy.
Never again to sexual abuse, real or symbolic. Right on.
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