Sixth US Soldier in Subic Rape Case a Puzzle
Volt Contreras, Armand N. Nocum, Tonette Orejas
Inquirer News Service
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Subic Bay Freeport (Philippines):
The sixth man in the alleged rape of a Filipino woman by a group of American Marines at the Subic freeport is posing a puzzle.US serviceman Dominic Duplantis was not in the hired van where the alleged rape took place on the night of Nov. 1, according to the sworn statement of the vehicle's Filipino driver, Timoteo Soriano.
The woman herself had named only five men in her complaint – Duplantis was not among them –but listed a John Doe as the sixth person who should be held to answer her accusation.
And in a statement issued on Nov. 3, the US Embassy in Manila initially said there were five Marines involved in the alleged rape and who have remained in the country to face investigation.The embassy later said it was actually holding six Marines in custody.
On Nov. 10, it presented the six men to a Philippine team led by Foreign Undersecretary Zosimo Paredes, who went to the embassy to verify if the accused were indeed still in the country.director of the Presidential Commission on the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFACom).
Asked last Wednesday why the number of the accused had changed, US press attaché Matthew Lussenhop said the Nov. 3 statement was based on "the information we had" at the time.
Nov 20, 2005
Volt Contreras, Armand N. Nocum, Tonette Orejas
Inquirer News Service
_________________
Subic Bay Freeport (Philippines):
The sixth man in the alleged rape of a Filipino woman by a group of American Marines at the Subic freeport is posing a puzzle.US serviceman Dominic Duplantis was not in the hired van where the alleged rape took place on the night of Nov. 1, according to the sworn statement of the vehicle's Filipino driver, Timoteo Soriano.
The woman herself had named only five men in her complaint – Duplantis was not among them –but listed a John Doe as the sixth person who should be held to answer her accusation.
And in a statement issued on Nov. 3, the US Embassy in Manila initially said there were five Marines involved in the alleged rape and who have remained in the country to face investigation.The embassy later said it was actually holding six Marines in custody.
On Nov. 10, it presented the six men to a Philippine team led by Foreign Undersecretary Zosimo Paredes, who went to the embassy to verify if the accused were indeed still in the country.director of the Presidential Commission on the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFACom).
Asked last Wednesday why the number of the accused had changed, US press attaché Matthew Lussenhop said the Nov. 3 statement was based on "the information we had" at the time.
Nov 20, 2005