Panelo says Pemberton convicted of non-heinous crime, denies downplaying offense

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Friday explained an earlier remark in which he said pardoned former US Marine  Joseph Scott Pemberton was only convicted of homicide, a crime not considered heinous under Philippine laws.

Panelo had drawn criticisms over the social media for apparently downplaying the crime Pemberton was convicted of committing against Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014.

Panelo said he was comparing President Rodrigo Duterte's pardon of the American killer to former President Benigno Aquino's pardon of a British convicted of drug charges.

“Bakit naman sinabi na homicide lang? Kasi ‘yun pong drugs kung saan ’yung British nga na pinardon ni PNoy, eh ang krimen niya heinous crime at ito po ay convicted and affirmed by the Korte Suprema,” Panelo said on his show.

"Kung ikukumpara mo homicide, eh hindi naman heinous crime. ’Yun ho ang konteksto nu’n pero hindi ko sinasabi na tama ’yung ginawa. Pinagdusahan niya, kinulong na nga natin eh tapos nagbayad pa," he added.

Panelo said it was on record that Aquino pardoned a British drug convict.

“Nasa record po ‘yun na si Presidente Aquino may pinardon na Amerikano at alam mo ‘yung crime niya? Drugs. Oh eto nga homicide lang eh,” the Palace official said on his commentary program aired on state-run PTV on Wednesday.  

“Kita n’yo naman. Alam n’yo naman ang drugs kung papaano sinisira nito ang buhay ng isang tao, ng pamilya, ng isang lipunan.”

In 2011, Aquino granted the conditional pardon with voluntary deportation to William Robert Burton, an ailing British national who was found guilty of trying to smuggle marijuana out of the country in 1992.

Pemberton, a participant in the joint military training exercises in the Philippines, was sentenced to six to 10 years in jail for killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude inside an Olongapo City lodge in October 2014.

Duterte pardoned Pemberton on Monday, extinguishing his criminal liability and rendering moot a legal debate on whether the American serviceman was entitled to early release as ordered by an Olongapo court for good conduct.

The 25-year-old is now under the custody of the Bureau of Immigration in preparation for his deportation for being an undesirable alien. He will also be included in the bureau's blacklist, prohibiting him from re-entering the Philippines. -NB, GMA News