Nicole seeks arrest warrant vs Smith

Saying he is now a fugitive from justice, the camp of the complainant in the Subic rape case will request the Court of Appeals to issue an arrest warrant against convicted Lance Corporal Daniel Smith. Lawyer Evalyn Ursua said this will be the highlight of their petition for contempt, which scored government officials for "corrupting the system of law" in the country. "He's an escaped prisoner, a fugitive from justice. We want the Court of Appeals to declare his conviction final and executory, and issue a warrant for his arrest," Ursua said in an interview on dzBB radio Tuesday. She also voiced fears that with Smith already transferred, the convict can be spirited out of the country at any time because no Philippine court has jurisdiction over the US Embassy in Manila. "The danger of that (Smith's departure for the US) is very real," she said in Filipino. As for the government officials involved in his transfer, Ursua denounced them for "corrupting the system of law," adding that what they did was "really bad for the rule of law." Ursua is expected to file Wednesday afternoon contempt charges against the government officials. In a related development, Ursua said the complainant has calmed down somewhat and is now hopeful that the court will assert its authority and the rule of law. Ursua said the judiciary should now assert its authority against what she called as the open defiance by the executive department not only of a co-equal branch of government but of the rule of law. She also refused to dignify the threat of Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol to file a counter-suit seeking to disbar her for "ignorance of the law." "It's his right. I won't dignify his statements. He should also charge former Senators Jovito Salonga and Wigberto Tañada. I'll be in good company," she said. Scores of women and student activists staged a protest march Tuesday morning at Manila City, burning an American flag to protest Smith's "escape" from prison. Anti-riot police, however, blocked the path of the protesters and prevented them from proceeding to the Court of Appeals. - GMANews.TV