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.