Feedback from Tom Mather
From Tom Mather simtek130@yahoo.com
Re: Tell it to the (US) Marines in INQ7 Nov. 8, 2005
Rowena,
My point wasn’t that they would just loose their jobs but the fact is the rest of their lives are ruined guilty or not.
I agree if the evidence supports that the young lady was indeed raped. They will be tried. I have seen in the past Marines on deployment accused and found guilty of such crimes will also be tried in the Military court system. A double jeapordy of sorts but that is part of being a United States Marine and crossing the line. I have also seen the convicted offender be remanded to the Host country’s custody after being found guilty in that country and after the Military finished their adjudication.
I also know is that these Marines face a host of other charges that are also punishable in a military court system even if they are found not guilty of rape. Those Marines knew the consequences of not boarding the ship at the request of the local authorities, they also knew the consequences of all their other actions like conduct unbecoming, drunk in public and the list goes on. The United States Marine Corps does not condone or allow such a heinous crime go unpunished.
I for one am ashamed to my wife, children and my family there in the Philippines that such an act has been perpetrated no matter if she was raped or otherwise. Their failure to act as ambassadors to the Philippines is an embarrasment to me as a former Marine as well as Husband and father to Filipino citizens.
Tom
January 2nd, 2006 13:34
here is Tom’s latest email (dec. 27,2005):
I noticed four out of the six Marines are to be charged with rape. The other two were probably a case of mistaken identity. Believe it or not the 2 that were mistaken identity will still be charged in the military and tried under various articles of the UCMJ.
They will most probably be found guilty under the USMJ just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They will be given a choice of Non Judicial Punishment, which is presided on by their commanding officer, or Courts Martial, which is trial by a military court and a jury of their piers. Some of the charges such as “Missing a Movement” and Unauthorized Absence” will be brought about just because they chose to comply with the local authorities request not to board the ship.
Now I have been reading many of the “NAY SAYERS” saying the US Government will interfere and protect these guys. I have read many of Editorials saying we should hold them in the Filipino jails but the reality is these 2 that are innocent has had their lives ruined for allowing the Philippine Government their God given Seventy as a Nation.
These two Marines respected the Seventy A a Nation. The Editorials tried and convicted them before they were even charged but will we hear one apology to these two innocent Marines. I can guarantee the people of the Philippines would demand such an apology and receive it.
Tom
January 3rd, 2006 16:46
Bing,
The Status of Forces Agreement with Japan allowes that US troops accused of a crime are turned over after an indictment is handed down. That meant until they were charged with a crime they were not handed over to the Okinawan Government. But once the indictment was handed down the US swiftly turned the perpetrators over in each of the cases I researched.
Even there the propaganda handed out by the news medias didn’t tell the whole story as to why the accused were not being held by the Japaneese Government. The fact was as in the Philippine case no formal charges had been handed down.
I can’t see why the US would handle this any different and hand the accused over at this point now that formal charges have been handed down.
As far as the prisoners being kept away from the local population. I believe it was either abs-cbn or Inq7 where I read a report that the Olongapo city jail was already overcrowded and run down. SO where else could they put them ?
If they were allowed to post bail where would they stay ? You see there are alot of logistic problems posed by the crimes these 4 allegedly commited.
Tom