STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE
JUSTICE FOR NICOLE, JUSTICE FOR OUR NATION CAMPAIGN
OF THE TASK FORCE SUBIC RAPE
The trial of the Subic Rape Case in which four U.S.
servicemen have been accused of raping a Filipina is coming to an
end. We wholeheartedly commend the victim “Nicole” for gathering the
courage to defend her dignity and demand justice for herself and our
nation.
We believe that the Subic rape case is a landmark case for being the
first that has come to trial in our country against U.S. servicemen,
and for its importance in challenging the implementation of the Anti-
rape Law in the furtherance of women’s rights.
It is frustrating indeed that Justice Sec. Raul Gonzales
showed lack of sensitivity and resoluteness to defend the victim and
the interests of the Filipino people by consistently issuing
statements inimical to the case, i.e., the refusal to issue a
warrant of arrest, downgrading the case of three U.S. marines,
insinuating that Nicole could be merely imagining the
prosecutors’ “incompetence” just as she may have imagined being
raped, and his stubborn refusal to change the prosecutors in spite
of the unethical and unprofessional conduct of the senior prosecutor.
We denounce the lead state prosecutor’s attempt to broker a
deal for Nicole to withdraw her case, thus acquitting the U.S.
marines in exchange for some compensation and possible sojourn in
the United States. At the same time, insinuations were made that a
Jocjoc Bolante deal could ensue if the case is not settled soon.
We support Nicole and her family in their refusal to take part in
the trial due to their absolute loss of trust and confidence in the
state prosecutors, whom Nicole and her family accused
of “incompetence” in cross-examining the U.S. marines, particularly
the principal accused, a situation aggravated by the refusal of the
lead state prosecutor to allow Nicole’s private counsel to
participate in the cross examination.
We believe that the Subic Rape Trial has denied due process and fair
trial to the victim Nicole through the one-year limitation period
for trial imposed by the Visiting Forces Agreement.
We renew our call for the Senate to scrap the Visiting
Forces Agreement (VFA) for undermining our laws and judicial system,
extending more rights and privileges to U.S. soldiers and denying
equal treatment to Filipino citizens. Moreover, the VFA has been a
convenient cover for continuing U.S. intelligence and military
operations in the country in pursuit of U.S. military adventurism
and their strategic economic interest in this region.
We firmly believe that the ultimate judge of this case will be the
Filipino people in their aspirations for justice and national
sovereignty, and in solidarity with people’s movements everywhere to
establish the conditions for lasting peace.
We, the undersigned, therefore, call on the Filipino people to rally
behind Nicole who as a rape survivor is fighting not only for
herself but for the dignity of all Filipinos, and for the sake of
Filipino women and men who are at risk from various types of abuse
that may arise from the Visiting Forces Agreement.
TO SIGN:
PLEASE SEND YOUR NAME TO THE OFFICIAL TFSR SECRETARIAT EMAIL:
tfsrsecretariat yahoo.com
or visit
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justicefornicole/
For more information, please visit: http://subicrape.wordpress.com