BY
ALEXANDER MARTIN
REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
Posted
8:55 p.m., Dec. 3, 2006
“Ensuring justice
for our aggrieved fellow Filipino should come first before what
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo perceives as good relations between
the Philippines and the U.S.”
This was what Joan
Salvador, chairperson of GABRIELA Youth, told reporters on the eve of
the promulgation of the verdict on the Subic rape case. Salvador was the
main speaker in a brief rally and candle-lighting activity held by
members of the women’s group GABRIELA early evening today at the Boy
Scouts’ Circle along Timog Avenue, Quezon City.
The GABRIELA
members mounted candles on the sidewalk, arranged to form the word
JUSTICE. “Jail the rapists!” they chanted as they brandished placards
calling for justice for “Nicole,” the court-assigned name of the Subic
rape victim.
“Nicole,” the
daughter of a prominent family from Zamboanga, was raped allegedly by
four U.S. Marines on Nov. 1 in Subic, Zambales last year. Her case is
expected to bear implications for RP-U.S. relations as it is said to be
the first against U.S. soldiers to be brought to any Philippine court.
Judge Benjamin
Pozon of the Makati Regional Trial Court, Branch 139 is set to
promulgate the verdict on the case of “Nicole” tomorrow afternoon – a
week after the original schedule he had committed. GABRIELA will be
joined by other groups under the banner of the Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) tomorrow in a rally in front
of the Makati RTC.
Salvador also
chided the Arroyo government for not asserting custody of the principal
accused Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith and accomplices S/Sgt. Chad Carpentier,
Lance Cpl. Keith Silkwood, and Lance Cpl. Dominic Duplantis – as she
said it could have done.
“The Philippines
made accommodations and compromises favoring America,” Salvador said.
“We have seen how the government, especially Gloria, shied away from
asserting the dignity and rights of our fellow Filipino and showed more
concern over protecting the relations between the Philippines and the
U.S.”
“Our assertion is
whatever happens, justice should come first,” Salvador added.
Bulatlat
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