Letter to the Editor - Treachery on the transfer of Smith's custody

We cry TREACHERY over the underhanded transfer of convicted rapist US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith from the Makati City Jail to the US Embassy last night at about 11 p.m. Friday on orders of the Philippine government. We express our outrage and demand that the Philippine and US officials surface the criminal.

Like thieves in the night, the Arroyo administration and its cohorts from the foreign affairs and justice departments have made sure that whatever slight justice was attained for Nicole is overridden. They have staunchly defended the rapist and the VFA , as protector of the rapist, and now they have gone this far to show their servitude to United States by allowing the escape of a criminal. We hold them criminally liable for their betrayal of the people's trust, this rape of our nation's sovereignty.

The Balikatan military exercises are the US government's bribe to Philippine government for Smith's transfer of custody. In the first place, the Filipino people have long been demanding for the halt of these exercises, which are not only economically detrimental to the Filipino people but have also resulted to social costs including the rape of our women. This U.S. "aid" has only brought violence against the majority of the people and clearly serves the interests of the puppet Arroyo regime.

GABRIELA maintains its demand that U.S. troops be kicked out of the Philippine archipelago and that Balikatan be halted. We don't need these Yankees to fight their so-called terrorists; the real terrorists are in Malacañang and in its executive departments.

This latest travesty of justice only fuels the women's wrath against the Arroyo regime and further strengthens the people's movement to oust Arroyo, the number one US puppet.###

Kaira Zoe Alburo
Gabriela Cebu