U.S Marines can appear at Philippine court for rape case: embassy

The U.S embassy here said on Wednesday the four American Marines charged of rape will appear during the arraignment set on March 24 by a Philippine regional trial court in Subic Bay, Olongapo City.

Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop said the U.S. side will make the accused Marines available if required by the court. "We will continue to abide if they are required to be there," he said.

Meanwhile, Lussenhop assured that the U.S. government will work with Philippine authorities on the case under the framework of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

"The VFA requires that the U.S. military be made available to Philippine authorities," he added.

However, Lussenhop maintained that the U.S. soldiers will remain in the U.S. embassy's custody as provided by the VFA.

The bilateral VFA allows the entry of U.S. military personnel in the Philippines for the purpose of joint exercises with Filipino counterparts.

The 22-year-old female complainant in the case was allegedly gang-raped by the U.S. soldiers inside a van at Subic Bay on the night of Nov. 1, 2005.

Source: Xinhua