U.S. sailors punished

U.S. sailors punished

MANILA (AP): The U.S. military has punished three American sailors accused of beating a Filipino taxi driver last month while their ship was making a goodwill visit to the Philippines, officials said on Tuesday.

The case was seen as the first test of American compliance with a new bilateral accord, the Visiting Forces Agreement, which states that U.S. troops who commit crimes while off duty in the Philippines are subject to Philippine law.

The sailors -- Johnny Earl Lowerly Jr., Michael Keys and Shannon Towers -- were given "nonjudicial punishments" early this month that may have included demotions, fines, reprimands and restriction of movements, according to Elmer Cato, a commission spokesman. The exact punishments were not announced.