Fair And Balanced News

[MikeB]

That is an interesting article; I hadn't heard of the Michael J Butler case, the only thing I could find disputes what Mr Couttie states that Butler was condemned to death in 1983. He was sentenced to death in 1976 for murder and "scoffing at a corpse" and the case against him was dismissed in 1981, after countless appeals had been denied; in part because he was 17 when he committed the murder, and in part because he was "fully rehabilitated". He served his entire 6 years incarceration in the navy brig at Subic. Presumably he left the country after he paid the p24k civil liability to the victim's family and never returned.

http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1983/jan1983/gr_l_50276_1983.html

[Methersgate]

That is an interesting article; I hadn't heard of the Michael J Butler case, the only thing I could find disputes what Mr Couttie states that Butler was condemned to death in 1983. He was sentenced to death in 1976 for murder and "scoffing at a corpse" and the case against him was dismissed in 1981, after countless appeals had been denied; in part because he was 17 when he committed the murder, and in part because he was "fully rehabilitated". He served his entire 6 years incarceration in the navy brig at Subic. Presumably he left the country after he paid the p24k civil liability to the victim's family and never returned.

http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1983/jan1983/gr_l_50276_1983.html

That is correct, from what I can see of the case, which is the law report that you cite. The rest of Bob Couttie's article looks right, to me.

[Hey Steve]

 

 I guess there's a few reasons for this such as a dislike for Foreigners and don't forget there are Communist forces at work in the Philippines.  We see this biased reporting on may different topics. 

 

 

From feedback from my brother-in-law who works as a Baranguay captain and a few other Filipinos I know and Skype on occasion-just talking, it seems many are immune to the media's antics on reporting. There's no general sense of resentment of foreigners from what he said. Other than the LBGC community and a few loud minority groups many see this for what it is-an isolated case with an unfortunate end.

[OnMyWay]

In the Philippines, if you are a witness to a crime then (a) you have to provide a sworn statement and (b) appear at the trial so that you can be questioned on your testimony by lawyers of both sides. And it is based on Philippine legal processes that the Press has madse its reports.

 

Mark, I'm not following.  If the 4 marine witnesses gave a sworn statement and have promised to appear in court when needed (backed by the U.S. government's promise to make them available), have they not followed the laws you describe?

 

If they have, then a news source that uses the wording "escaped" to describe their departure is certainly sensationalizing, at the very least.

[Methersgate]

 

In the Philippines, if you are a witness to a crime then (a) you have to provide a sworn statement and (b) appear at the trial so that you can be questioned on your testimony by lawyers of both sides. And it is based on Philippine legal processes that the Press has madse its reports.

 

Mark, I'm not following.  If the 4 marine witnesses gave a sworn statement and have promised to appear in court when needed (backed by the U.S. government's promise to make them available), have they not followed the laws you describe?

 

If they have, then a news source that uses the wording "escaped" to describe their departure is certainly sensationalizing, at the very least.

 

Yes, and the US Government has promised to make the four witnesses available at the trial. The DFA have confirmed that everything is in order.

I cannot forbear from remarking that the USA detained six crew members from the Korean container ship COSCO BUSAN for seven months as "material witnesses" after that ship struck the Golden Gate Bridge due to the fault of the (American) Pilot. The six men all lost their jobs and were not compensated. And that was just a civil case - not a murder.   

[Markham]

 

 

In the Philippines, if you are a witness to a crime then (a) you have to provide a sworn statement and (b) appear at the trial so that you can be questioned on your testimony by lawyers of both sides. And it is based on Philippine legal processes that the Press has madse its reports.

 

Mark, I'm not following.  If the 4 marine witnesses gave a sworn statement and have promised to appear in court when needed (backed by the U.S. government's promise to make them available), have they not followed the laws you describe?

 

If they have, then a news source that uses the wording "escaped" to describe their departure is certainly sensationalizing, at the very least.

 

Yes, and the US Government has promised to make the four witnesses available at the trial. The DFA have confirmed that everything is in order.

I cannot forbear from remarking that the USA detained six crew members from the Korean container ship COSCO BUSAN for seven months as "material witnesses" after that ship struck the Golden Gate Bridge due to the fault of the (American) Pilot. The six men all lost their jobs and were not compensated. And that was just a civil case - not a murder.   

 

The Philippine Press does not understand the workings of the Visiting Forces Agreement and bases its reporting on the assumption that they - the witnesses - are civilians. But it's all moot anyway since defence witnesses in such cases are regarded as alibi witnesses and their evidence is discounted. So Uncle Sam may well put them on a plane back to Manila and Embassy personnel escort them to Subic/Olongapo to testify all at tax-payer expense but for no benefit to the accused.

 

The "Cosco Busan incident" wasn't, I believe, isolated. I seem to recall something similar in the early 1970s involving a Ben Line ship and an American tug whose hauser parted under strain, recoiled to the tug and killed one of its crew.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Markham

[Americano]

"In the Philippines, if you are a witness to a crime then (a) you have to provide a sworn statement.."

 

Well, just say you didn't see anything and don't know anything about the crime.  New Yorkers do it every day so they don't get involved in crimes.

You are the only one who knows what you see or don't see. For example, someone standing beside me was shot but I didn't see who shot him. He didn't even know he was shot until warm blood ran down on his hand.

[Call me bubba]

That is an interesting article; I hadn't heard of the Michael J Butler case, the only thing I could find disputes what Mr Couttie states that Butler was condemned to death in 1983. He was sentenced to death in 1976 for murder and "scoffing at a corpse" and the case against him was dismissed in 1981, after countless appeals had been denied; in part because he was 17 when he committed the murder, and in part because he was "fully rehabilitated". He served his entire 6 years incarceration in the navy brig at Subic. Presumably he left the country after he paid the p24k civil liability to the victim's family and never returned.

http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1983/jan1983/gr_l_50276_1983.html

off topic

 

 does anyone know what became of Michael Butler after his release and discharge from the navy?

[i am bob]

I suspect that the use of the word "escaped" is just another original usage attributed to the Philippines itself.

[Methersgate]

off topic    does anyone know what became of Michael Butler after his release and discharge from the navy?

Google is completely silent.

 

I like to think he pursued a career as a psychologist, since he had a degree in it...