Marines face Philippine rape case

The defendants ran a gauntlet of protesters on entering the court

Four US marines have appeared in court in the Philippines charged with raping a local woman.

They refused to enter pleas, but the court recorded not guilty pleas on their behalf. They face the death penalty if found guilty.

They have denied raping a woman of 22 in November in a van outside the former US naval base of Subic Bay.

Women's and left-wing groups shouted protests as the defendants made their way into the Manila courtroom.

The court earlier threw out a Justice Department motion to reduce charges against three of the four marines.

Philippines Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales had argued only one defendant - Daniel Smith - should face the full charge, which carries the death penalty, while the others should be charged as accessories.

That would have left Keith Silkwood, Dominic Duplantis and Chad Carpentier facing up to 20 years in jail.

Pseudonym

The soldiers have insisted only one of their number had sex with the woman, and that it was consensual.

However, Judge Benjamin Pozon said he could not allow the downgrading of the charges.

The four entered the courtroom in civilian clothes. They have been in custody at the US embassy, after the US refused to hand them over until the end of the trial, in accordance with a treaty signed with the Philippines.

About two dozen members of a women's group held placards saying: "Justice for Nicole," "Jail the Yankees," and "Rage Against Rape."

Nicole is the pseudonym given to the alleged victim in the case.

The alleged victim's mother appeared at the court with a woman whose face was half-obscured by a bandana - it was not clear if this was the woman at the centre of the case.

The defendants were stationed in Okinawa, Japan, but had just finished manoeuvres in the Philippines when the alleged attack occurred near the Subic Bay naval base west of Manila.