Arrest soldier for rape, Filipinos say

MANILA (AP) Philippine activists picketed the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday, demanding justice for a Filipino woman allegedly raped by an American soldier in Japan.

Chanting "U.S. imperialists, No. 1 terrorists," some 30 leftwing activists burned a cardboard U.S. flag and scuffled briefly with riot police.

Last month, American and Japanese officials said a U.S. serviceman was under investigation for alleged sexual assault of a Filipino woman in Okinawa, where a U.S. Marine also was arrested on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old Japanese girl, although charges against the marine were dropped last week.

The cases added to a string of accusations that have fueled anger against the heavy U.S. military presence in Okinawa.

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the case was still under investigation by Okinawa police, who have taken the woman into protective custody.

"We are appalled and indignant that U.S. troops in the Philippines, in Okinawa, Japan and elsewhere commit these acts with impunity," said Rita Baua, a spokeswoman for the leftwing alliance Bayan, which spearheaded the rally.

"She and her family, along with the Filipino people, deserve an immediate apology from the U.S. government over this latest atrocity committed against our nation's dignity," said Maita Santiago, an officer of the migrant workers' group Migrante International.