Immigration prepares logistics for Pemberton’s deportation

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is now preparing the logistics for the upcoming deportation of pardoned homicide convict US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton.

“BI agents are conducting a coordination meeting now in Camp Aguinaldo to discuss logistical preparations for Pemberton's deportation,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.

“Required documents have already been submitted, but his final flight details and preparations for implementation have yet to be discussed,” she said.

In a separate interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Sandoval said that though they have yet to receive his flight details, Pemberton is most likely to board a special flight.

“Most probably hindi po ito commercial flight, maaari pong baka special flight po ito,” Sandoval said.

"It could be [arranged by] any po basta po yung flight arrangement niya will be coming from his camp. So maari po na sa kanya mismo manggaling, maari rin naman po na i-provide po ito ng kanyang embahada o kaya naman ng kanyang counsel,” she added.

The spokesperson also expressed hope that the process may be completed within the weekend or early next week.

"Actually we’re hoping siguro one to two days of processing for this. So we’re hoping it's either within the weekend po or early next week,” she said.

On Friday, Pemberton’s custody was transferred to the BI from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), although he remained at his detention facility inside Camp Aguinaldo.

The BI said it will complete deportation proceedings against Pemberton after he is released from the BuCor custody.

In 2015, Pemberton was convicted of homicide for killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude in October 2014.

Pemberton was ordered deported for being an "undesirable alien" three months before his conviction in 2015.

Pemberton was sentenced to 6 to 12 years imprisonment and ordered to pay the Laude family at least P4.5 million for various damages.

Five years into serving his sentence, he was granted absolute pardon by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte said Pemberton was treated unfairly when his behavior while detained and in prison was not duly monitored by Philippine authorities for good conduct time credits. -with Joahna Lei Casilao/MDM, GMA News