US soldier detained for raping Pinay in Japan

(Updated) The US military based in Japan has detained a soldier who allegedly raped a Filipino woman in Okinawa earlier this month.

According to Kyodo News on Wednesday, the Prefectural police plans to seek an arrest warrant on the still unnamed US serviceman after the Filipina claimed that she was raped.

Reports said the Filipina was assaulted around middle of February in a hotel in Japan’s southern prefecture where about 20,000 US troops are stationed.

The alleged sexual assault is the latest incident in Okinawa involving US troops after a 38-year-old Marine staff sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott was arrested last week for allegedly raping a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl.

Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Claro Cristobal told GMANews.TV that he has already coordinated with embassy officials in Japan regarding the incident.

"I have already coordinated with our embassy in Tokyo which, in turn, has already asked the honorary consul general in Okinawa to look into the matter," said Cristobal in a phone interview on Thursday evening.

Cristobal added that an update from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo will be available by Friday.

Following the recent string of complaints and protests from Japan, the US military imposed a curfew on all US troops including their families based in Okinawa.

“We take such incidents and allegations very seriously. To prevent further occurrences, I have ordered additional training for all Marines regarding expectations of behavior and conduct," said Marine Lt. Gen. Richard Zilmer in a statement last week.

Zilmer, the top US commander in Okinawa, ordered all members of the military and their families to stay in their bases or off-base residences until further notice.

“It is my sincere hope that the Japanese people understand this alleged behavior is counter to the core values that Marines live by and I truly hope this incident does not overshadow the US-Japan relationship that we value so much," he added. - Mark J. Ubalde, GMANews.TV

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more