SBMA official denies ‘deal’ offer to sisters in rape case

By Anthony Bayarong, Central Luzon Bureau

Manila Times

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT: A Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority official implicated in the Subic rape case denied on Tuesday that he told Nicole, the alleged victim, and her stepsister to cut a deal with the accused American Marines.

Ana Liza Franco testified that Ben Natividad, senior executive assistant of SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga, advised her and Nicole to “settle the case.”

In an interview with The Manila Times, Natividad said that he was only in the place “to provide assistance to the victim.”

“I never proposed them anything,” he said.

“Who am I to offer settlement between the victim and the suspect? I was just an aide to the chairman,” he added.

Natividad said that on November 2, 2005, a day after the alleged crime was committed, he received an urgent call from Pyke Torres of the SBMA’s

intelligence and investigation office informing him of the possible involvement of American servicemen in a rape case.

“He [Torres] informed me that they have the victim and one suspect in custody,” Natividad said.

When asked who the suspect was, Natividad replied: “Hindi ko na maalala, pero puti siya [I don’t remember but he was white].”

He disclosed that the suspect was eventually released because it was verified that he was on a US Navy ship when the incident happened.

Natividad said he was there to assist Torres in the case since most of the SBMA top officials were not in Subic.

Once the SBMA lawyers and officials started to arrive, he immediately left, Natividad said.

“That was the first and last time I saw the victim and her sister,” he said.