Roque: Jennifer Laude's death personifies death of Philippine sovereignty

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday slammed the decision of an Olongapo City court to release US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, who killed Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude in 2014, from detention.

Roque once served as the legal counsel for the Laude family in the criminal case against Pemberton.

“As former private prosecutor for the Laude family, I deplore the short period of imprisonment meted on Pemberton who killed a Filipino under the most gruesome manner,” Roque said. 

“Laude’s death personifies the death of Philippine sovereignty.”

According to Judge Roline Ginez-Abalde, Pemberton is "entitled to be released for he had already served the 10-year maximum of his penalty” for the homicide conviction.

Despite only being five years into his prison term of six to 10 years, Pemberton was ordered released because the judge took into account the good conduct time allowances (GCTA) he had accumulated while detained.

The court also said that Pemberton has already made a "full payment" of millions of pesos in damages to Laude's heirs.

Pemberton is currently detained at a restricted facility in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Laude, then 26 years old, was last seen with Pemberton entering the room with another person after having drinks at a nearby bar where they met. The other person, Laude's friend Mark Clarence "Barbie" Gelviro, later left the two alone.

Pemberton and Laude agreed to have sex but the American went berserk after discovering that she was not biologically female.

Laude was found dead, with her head inside a toilet bowl, in the bathroom of a Celzone Lodge room on October 11, 2014.

In April 2017, Roque said they “would have liked” to have Pemberton sentenced to the maximum 12 years since “passion and intoxication do not mitigate the deliberate and brutal act of Jennifer’s murder.”

Roque also said at the time that Pemberton “cannot be cited for good behavior when he has not been remorseful.” -NB, GMA News