Justice Should
be Served on Subic Rape ― Makati Residents
BY AUBREY MAKILAN
BULATLAT
Posted 8:05 p.m., Dec. 4, 2006
Just
after the promulgation of the decision on the controversial Subic rape
case, residents were waiting outside the Makati City Jail where Lance Cpl.
Daniel Smith was supposed to be temporarily detained. The residents have
differing views on how justice should be served but they are united in the
conviction that there should be justice for Nicole.
Just punishment
Of the four U.S.
Marine soldiers charged with rape, only Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith was found
guilty and sentenced with reclusion perpetua, 20 years and one day
to 40 years. If not for the enactment of R.A.9346 abolishing the death
penalty, Smith could have been sentenced to death. Rape in the Philippines
is considered a heinous crime.
Nora, a resident of
Brgy. Northside in Makati, was sitting on a bench near a store in front of
the city jail. She seems uninvolved but when asked about her opinion on
the case, she said Smith should have been sentenced to death.
“E pano kung
makatakas?” (What if he escapes?) she asked, adding that the
convicted U.S. Marine soldier is not an ordinary person.
Joel, who lives just
beside the city jail, also thinks that Smith should have been meted the
death penalty.
“Unfair naman, sa
ibang bansa ang bilis-bilis patawan ng kamatayan ‘yung mga OFW
kahit walang kasalanan,” (It is just unfair that in other countries
overseas Filipino workers are immediately meted out the death penalty even
if it was not clearly proven that they were guilty.) he reasoned out.
Meanwhile, Shirly of
Brgy. Sembo fetched her daughter from school and waited in front of the
city jail. She said that the penalty of reclusion perpetua was
sufficient since nobody’s life was taken.
“Pero mabuti naman
kung makikita s’yang nakakulong at nagdudusa,” (But it would be good
to see him in jail and serving his punishment.) she said.
But Shirly argued
that the three other U.S. soldiers should also have been convicted.
Justice
For Joel, this is not
just Nicole’s personal case but a fight for the “dignity of Filipinos and
the country as a whole.”
“Kung walang mako-convict,
wala na talagang kwenta ang justice system natin,” (If nobody was
convicted in the rape case then our justice system is really rotten.) he
said.
If the U.S. would
insist on taking custody of Smith, Joel said, “kung pagbibigyan ‘yun ng
gobyerno natin, parang lalabas na papet na s’ya talaga ng Amerika.”
(If the government agrees to it, then it shows that it really is a puppet
of America.)
After waiting for
three hours, the residents could not help but think that Smith was brought
to an airconditioned room in the U.S. Embassy.
“Ibig sabihin nun
malakas ang impluwensya, (at) ang batas natin talagang piring na piring na,”
he said, “Kung mahirap ang makukulong antimano, nasa loob na yan,
naghihimas na ng rehas.” (If that is the case, then a strong influence
was exerted on the court and our justice system is really blinded. When a
poor person is convicted s/he is immediately imprisoned and placed behind
bars.)
Not fair
But the Makati
residents doubted if Smith would be treated as an ordinary prisoner.
Joel, who has seen
the lives of prisoners inside the Makati City Jail is not convinced that
Smith will experience the same poor conditions Filipino detainees had to
live with.
“Kung ordinary
lang si Smith matagal na ‘yang nasa loob, naglilinis ng kubeta, may
bukol-bukol na, nagtatakal na ng pagkain nya,” (If Smith was an
ordinary person, he should have been imprisoned long ago, would have been
cleaning the toilet, has experienced being beaten up, and has eaten prison
food.) he said.
Joel, a gambler who
bets on anything, was amazed that for the first time nobody would want to
take his bet. He was betting that Smith would be imprisoned at the Makati
City Jail. Nobody wanted to take his bet not because his neighbors had no
money but because all of them were hoping that Smith would be imprisoned.
Bulatlat
BACK TO
TOP ■
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION ■
COMMENT
© 2006 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Media Center
Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided
its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.