News Media report that a Filipina crew member who was allegedly raped on a cruise ship earlier this year filed lawsuit in Japan against the company NYK Cruises Company Limited seeking $200,000 in compensatory damage.
The 23-year-old Filipina from Passi City, Iloilo province has filed a private suit after domestic law enforcement agencies failed to provide criminal charges because rape occurred in international waters. The young woman was allegedly raped on February 8, 2015 while she was working on the cruise ship MS Asuka II sailing from Spain to Sydney, Australia at that time. She states that during this voyage engine crew members Angelito Mancilang Harold Toco, Baltazar Tomarong, and Raffy Cordova invited her for drinks during her time off. After accepting this invitation she had a shot or two of hard liquor and woke up next morning naked in a bed with signs of sexual abuse.
She reported the rape to the Captain who called the crew members involved. They all denied the sexual assault charges and the incident went unnoticed without final investigation. Immediately after she disembarked the ship Filipina crew member reported the incident to the Australian Customs and Border Protection. Australian authorities informed INTERPOL and the crew member went back home. During her time at home she visited the branch in Manila of the cruise ship company operating MS Asuka II, where she was turned away. After seeking for legal help by a women’s group Gabriela-Panay she was directed to National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-6) in Iloilo City. This agency didn’t help her stating that the incident happened in international waters where they do not have jurisdiction.
