Mike Cohen - At Large

May Day Protests expected - But no major plot seen; POLICE

Police in the Philippines say they don't expect large protests or actions to unseat President Arroyo this May 1st, Labor day, the current positioning so far Police intelligence sources say is that the focus of attention of most of the destablizers- is to lay low- most of their backers seem to be to focused on the current charter change - constitutional amendment public signature campaign - many of those who often back groups trying to stage protests and large mass actions versus President Arroyo seem to be marshalling their forces for the charter change fight- some others are looking at the charter change issue also a way to get ready for the next round of elections less than year away for many Politcal leaders and groups that is their focus right now.

While those groups engaged in open rebellion still pose a risk for the most part - along the lines of recent actions on February 24, revealed by the military for the most part the leadership of the Police and military feel those groups are not in a position anymore to carry out large scale action because - to them - the plotters backers have run and will attempt other action.


US Marine rape case - 1 principal accused- 3 face lower charges

And then there was one - Lance Corporal Daniel Smith; stand alone in the charge of rape of 22 year old young woman while on shore leave during a military exercise in the Philippine Port city of Olongapo

Today, Tuesday - Philippine Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales has downgraded rape charges versus three men who were first accused direct involvement in the rape of young woman from Zamboanga. The three identified in the charge sheets as US Marines, Lance Corporals Keith Silkwood and Dominic Duplantis and Staff Sergeant Chad Carpentier. Are still facing criminal charges for dumping the woman along a road leading to a base - not coming to her aid even though her pleas for help they ignored. So he told news organizations here. The case has been moved to Manila and the trail is expected to resume in earnest soon. Earlier the judge in the case inhibited himself.

To me; I cannot understand why - few if any coverage is happening on this case in US media - in my opinion the majority of the media in the USA of late has become so parochial and xenophobic that it is ignoring this case- its that simple -To at least four news organizations I've talk to the reaction is the same "The victim was not an American. While her alleged accessed rapist looks like blond haired boy band boy next door as do his Co-accused now for a lesser The

Entire incident is a stain the very name of the Corps they represent - and a violation the code of US Marines. And a clear Article 134 violation of the US code of Military justice- why has that charge never been brought out? For conduct unbecoming?

If this had appended on US shores - or in another place and perhaps had the victim been American we might see the same focus of attention focused on the Halloway case in Aruba...
But not racial bias of the current "Lou Dobbs" attitude of US media esp. TV news organizations for whom this case goes un-noticed.

KSA Killing 10 men held for chopping up co-workers!

Meanwhile - A report out of Saudi Arabia is one that is chilling. That ten miners are reportedly now in custody for killing and dismemberment six co-workers after a fight.
The report claims that 10 men where somehow responsible allegedly for not only killing their co-workers at the Saudi Arabia mine company but later having those victims dismembered "in a gruesome way" one can not get too many details out of the KSA when things like this happen right away an investigation is one going.
One has to wonder what could have led to that kind of a crime. All the men both the alleged killers in custody and the six victims are from the Philippines.
philippines news-and-politics