The Philippine government is hiring a female Japanese lawyer to represent the 21-year-old Filipina rape victim in Okinawa of Japan, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
"We will get the services of a lady lawyer. Once a case is filed, we will seek her legal advice on how to proceed," DFA Undersecretary Esteban Conejos told a press briefing.
In Japan, a public prosecutor handles the case at the first stage of the hearing.
Conejos did not mention the name of the lawyer, saying he will disclose it at a proper time.
Meanwhile, he said he was assured by the Japanese Embassy in Manila that their authorities in Okinawa are closely looking into the case of the Filipina, who was sexually molested by an American soldier in February.
"I met with the Japanese Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission to seek an expeditious resolution of the case and the official said authorities are still investigating it and that it is continuing at this time," Conejos said.
The victim, who is currently in the protective custody of the Okinawa prefectural police, said she was raped in a hotel. The brutal incident left her with injuries, and received treatment at a medical facility.
The victim also told Philippine officials in Japan that she will file a case in court and has accepted the embassy's support, assistance and protection for the duration of the investigation and judicial proceedings in Japan.
It is the second high-profile rape cases in two years concerning American servicemen attacking Filipinos.
In 2006, a U.S. marine was convicted by a lower court in the Philippines of raping a Filipina at the former U.S. military base in northern Philippines.
Militant groups reiterated calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Asian countries and the revocation of the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement, which serves as the legal basis for annual bilateral military drills and the American army's presence in South Philippines.
Protesters said the presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines has inevitably led to a wide range of human rights violations and environmental destruction.
Source:Xinhua
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