By Julie M. Aurelio, Norman Bordadora (emphasis mine) - Philippine Daily Inquirer at 00:25:00 18/03/2009
MANILA, Philippines—The Filipino woman who accused an American Marine of raping her in November 2005 has not only recanted more than two years after winning a conviction but has also accepted money from him and flown to the United States for good.
This happened amid resurgent controversy over the Philippine-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which allows temporary US military presence in the Philippines.
At a press conference Tuesday, lawyer Evalyn Ursua said she was informed on Monday by the mother of her client, “Nicole,” that she had been dropped as legal counsel.
But Ursua promised to continue fighting the VFA and to assist other Filipino women in similar straits.
She said Nicole’s mother had handed her a letter terminating her legal services.
“Since it was Nicole and not her family who was my client, I asked Nicole’s mother why Nicole didn’t personally see me to hand the letter, or even give me a call. She replied that Nicole left for the US last week, for good,” the lawyer said.
Nicole also issued a sworn statement on March 12 saying she expected her motives to be questioned.
She raised doubts that US Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith had raped her, and suggested that she might have welcomed his sexual advances at the Neptune Club in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
She added: “My conscience continues to bother me realizing that I may have in fact been so friendly and intimate with Daniel Smith at the Neptune Club that he was led to believe that I was amenable to having sex or that we simply just got carried away.”
Read the rest here.
Well, what else can I say? I rest this case, and this one, and this one too. And I am not happy about it. I am very, very ashamed, if not for my country, for her.
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