(Update) Nicole happy court convicted 'prime suspect'

A teary eyed Nicole expressed elation Monday after a Makati court handed down a guilty verdict on a US marine, saying she was happy that at least principal accused US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith. "I am happy even if only one [of the US marines] was convicted. At least the court got the prime suspect," Nicole (not her real name) said in Filipino in an interview with GMA News right after the verdict of Makati judge Benjamin Pozon was read by a court clerk. Nicole admitted having been nervous prior to the verdict's promulgation. "God is good. God knows the truth," the 23-year-old rape victim said, who said she does not know if she can learn to forgive Smith. "I still feel angry at him (Smith). Of course, my anger will never really go away," she added. Nicole accused Smith of raping her inside a van on the night of Nov. 1, 2005 inside the Subic Bay Freeport while three other US marines cheered him on. Smith's co-accused - Staff Sergeant Chad Carpentier and Lance Corporals Dominic Duplantis and Keith Silkwood - were acquitted. For her part, the complainant's mother was also happy with how the case turned out. "Even though Daniel Smith was the only one found guilty, of course I feel happy [especially since] he was denied his plea [not to stay in the Makati City Jail]," she said in Filipino. Defense lawyers from the Department of Justice (DOJ), who earlier entered into a word war with Nicole, were also satisfied with the decision. Senior state prosecutor Emilie delos Santos, chair of the defense panel, said that, "We are very happy despite [the time when we were] being called incompetent. We are vindicated, we have to move on despite the criticisms from the private counsel."-GMANews.TV