Laude lawyer: Statements vs. fiancé, lawyer tactic to distract public from murder case

The recent statements hurled against the fiancé and the lawyer of the family of slain transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude may have been an attempt by the government to divert public attention from the murder case, the victim's camp claimed.

 

In an interview on Saturday, Atty. Virgie Suarez, legal counsel for the Laude family, said the government has been "attacking"  Laude's German fiancé Marc Sueselbeck and human rights lawyer Harry Roque, who is also legal counsel for the family.

 

"Matagal nang ginagamit ng gobyerno si Marc, pinning him down para lang to deflect and divert the attention of the masses from the Laude case," he said. "Hindi na namin papayagan ito, kaya pinilit na talaga namin na ipa-deport nalang si Marc voluntarily."

 

Sueselbeck left the country on Saturday after the Bureau of Immigration issued a deportation order.

 

The German was supposed to leave last Sunday but the BI prevented him from doing so because of a pending deportation case. However, on Thursday, the BI issued an order saying Sueselbeck may finally leave the country, but is now barred from re-entering the Philippines.

 

The BI issued the order after the Board of Commissioners on Thursday morning granted Sueselbeck's request to be voluntarily deported.

 

This was after a complaint was filed against him following the incident where he scaled a fence in Camp Aguinaldo and pushed aside a Filipino guard in an attempt to confront US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton.

 

Pemberton is facing a murder complaint in connection with the October 11 killing of Laude inside a motel in Olongapo City.

 

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces Forces of the Philippines said it would file a complaint against Roque for allegedly encouraging the German national to enter a restricted area in Camp Aguinaldo.

 

“As for Atty. Harry Roque, we will file a complaint against him for his inappropriate actions and actuations inside the camp premises before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, if warranted,” AFP public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said.

 

However, Suarez said this may be a tactic to silence their camp.

 

"Kahit sa usaping disbarment [against Roque], ito ay isang paraan ulit ng gobyerno para patahimikin ulit para malihis ang kaso na ito, pero hinding-hindi kami mananahimik sa kaso na ito," she added. "We will continue to fight this case, and we will continue to speak up, and we will not cower."

 

Roque, at the same press briefing, said, "Kung ang paglaban po para sa soberenya ng bayang ito ay isang dahilan para ma-disbar, huwag na po kayo mag-file ng disbarment—boluntaryo ko pong isu-surrender ang aking lisensya kung labag pala sa pag-practice ng batas ang paglaban sa soberenya sa bayant."

 

"Pero naniniwala po ako, na itataguyod po ng Korte Supreme at ng Integrated Bar of the Philippines na ang lahat ng Pilipino, dahil sila po ay nanumpa na suportahan ang Saligang Batas, lahat ng abugado po ay mayroong obligasyo na ipaglaban ang soberenya," he stressed. — VC/JDS, GMA News