If this rape case happened in Iraq...

From the Tribune:

US gov’t ‘obstructing justice’ in rape case

06/08/2006

The prosecution in a rape case involving a Filipino woman yesterday accused the US government of “obstructing justice” and violating provisions of a mutual military pact after the American mission in Manila invoked diplomatic immunity for five US Navy investigators who had looked into allegations against four US Marines, the prime suspects in the crime, and barred the probers from testifying in the ongoing trial of the soldiers at a local court.

Lead private prosecutor Evalyn Ursua, who represents the 22-year-old alleged victim, called the move of the US Embassy in Manila as a “clear attempt on the part of the US government to keep us from getting the evidence that we need and from showing the court the truth.”

Ursua also charged that the barring was intended to keep the Navy investigators from revealing embarrassing details about the case being tried before the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC).

She said they “view this move of the US government (to gag the probers) as in bad faith. It is in violation of the obligation of the US government under the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement), which it has invoked in this case.”

More here: ABC Asia Pacific: US embassy bans Navy investigators from Philippine rape trial

Para sa akin, kung ni-rape ng US servicemen ang Pinay victim, dapat maparusahan sila.

OTOH, the rape case issue doesn't have to affect the RP-US efforts to fight terrorism, or the RP-US relations. So disappointed ako sa lack of cooperation ng US military at embassy sa kasong ito, at sa Arroyo admin, dahil parang mas kampi pa sila sa US kaysa sa biktima.

(pero alam naman natin kung bakit, di ba? dahil kailangan ng Arroyo admin ang suporta ng US para hindi sila matumba, so they don't want to offend them)

But the US gov't is lucky here, dahil nangyari ito sa Pilipinas under the ARroyo administration. Because if the rape happened in Iraq, it would have been another major scandal.

Imagine US servicemen raping Iraqi women? That would be huge news. Maybe on a scandal level as bad as Haditha or Abu Ghraib. Hindi sila titigilan ng International Media 24/7. Mapapahiya ulit ang US gov't dito, at mababawasan ang credibilidad nila sa Iraqi people.

UPDATE: After one week, the US embassy has now allowed the US Navy Investigators to testify