THE mother of the woman who accuse four US marines of rape insisted yesterday that government prosecutors were deliberately trying to lose the case after she failed to have them replaced.
The mother tore into Senior State Prosecutor Emelie Fe de los Santos for calling her and her daughter—identified only as Nicole—ingrates.
Last week, mother and daughter walked out of the courtroom to protest against what they called the “ineptitude” of state prosecutors and asked the Department of Justice to replace them.
But Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez denied the request, saying their accusations had no basis and doing so would delay the trial.
De los Santos, who heads the five-member prosecution team, called Nicole and her mother “ungrateful” and “crazy” following their claim that the public prosecutors had asked them as early as July to withdraw their rape complaint and to accept a settlement.
More from Malaya:
JUSTICE Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday rejected the request of "Nicole," the alleged Subic rape victim, and her mother to replace four of the five-man prosecution team for their supposed incompetence.
The head of the panel said Nicole and her mother were "ingrates" for not appreciating the prosecutors’ services.
Gonzalez, in a memorandum to the panel, said: "You are directed to remain as panel of prosecutors in the above-captioned case and continue to represent the People of the Philippines ... As such, your panel shall remain in control of the entire criminal proceedings."
The four are Senior State Prosecutor Emelie Fe delos Santos and State Prosecutors Noli Quiambao, Elizabeth Berdal and Lagrimas Agaran.
Only Hazel Valdez was asked to be retained.
UPDATE: Read this too from Rina Jimenez David.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment