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 MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine officials defended their decision Tuesday to transfer a U.S. Marine convicted of rape from a local jail to the American Embassy, and a lawyer for the victim filed a contempt of court complaint against them.
The United States also announced that it would go ahead with joint military exercises with Philippine forces in February — exercises that the U.S. had earlier canceled, citing the custody dispute.
The victim's lawyer, Evalyn Ursua, alleged that the Philippine secretaries of the interior and justice violated the order of the Court of Appeals to keep Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, 21, of St. Louis, in a Manila jail while he appeals his conviction and 40-year prison sentence.
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