Will the Philippines rape case affect your liberty?

[Administrator]

The verdict is in: A lance corporal with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has been convicted of raping a Filipina during liberty in the Philippines on Nov. 1, 2005. Read the story. (http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2403972.php)

Do you think the verdict is fair? Will news of the verdict affect your liberty plans, or how you conduct yourself during a night on the town in a foreign country?

Please, no personal attacks. Share your thoughts and the reasoning behind them.

[Retired_Philippines_guest]

As someone who has lived in The Philippines for over 25 years, my advice to Active Duty Military is do not come here looking for sex.

1. It is now a Violation under The UCMJ to visit places where sex is sold - Virtually every bar in The Philippines, sex is sold so stay out.

2. "NEVER, EVER" pick up a freelancer from the mall, a bar, the street. This has been the golden rule here for decades because of set-ups. Smith picked up a freelancer & it got him 40 years.

Visit The Philippines to see the beauty of the country & it's people.

Visit for sex & you risk your career and as happened to Smith, sometimes you risk your life.

Retired_Philipines

[loystengle53]

Having lived in the P.I. myself I can only say that Smith was busted. He did wrong and the fact that she was a hooker is no longer an issue. She got her 15' of fame and he got 40 years. The group that wants the agreement voided will forget her by next week. A wasted youth in a pinoy prison... MSgt Bill Stengle (USAF, Ret) :thumbdown

[ciloy23_guest]

it does affect our liberty in the sense that we are a sovereign country and we have to protect our people. america has the right to protect its people but america should also teach its people to respect people from other nations. stop being a fascist, and i hate what the american ambassador is doing, she is showin no compassion to us as well since she is telling us that america has helped the victims of the landslide in leyte, so it would mean that philippine court can convict american offenders but then could not put them in philippine jail because america has helped us... it is an insult to those victims in leyte because it just shows that america can do anything against anyone since it will help somehow when disaster came...

[Agent0311_guest]

The query of this thread sounds a bit like dark humor, something one might hear at happy hour.

I was in Manila in 1995 and was placed in a hotel in the Ermita(sp) district near the U.S. embassy which I found scary, and I was working the streets of Detroit at the time.

For those living in the Manila area, what are the better, safer areas?

Every taxi driver I met seemed to be a pimp. Even on the way to the airport the driver wanted me to stop for a quickie. Other than taking a day trip to Corregidor and visiting the old walled city, the Intromuros, I was put off by Manila.