P21M not enough compensation for Jeffrey Laude’s death –lawyer

A prosecution lawyer on Tuesday said P21 million is not enough to compensate for Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude's death, a report on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali” said.

The report said lawyer Virgie Suarez made the statement during the second day of trial for the alleged killing of Laude, a Filipino transgender, by Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton.

The report quoted Suarez as saying that while Laude's death could not be remunerated, P21 million is not enough to pay for the civil and moral damages.

Suarez's statement came after Pemberton's camp claimed that Laude's family had mentioned the amount in its offer of a plea bargain agreement.

The Laude family on Monday clarified that it was Angeles City Chief State Prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos who offered the plea bargain to the defense.

Earlier in March, Laude's mother, Julita, said her family was open for settlement in addition to a letter of apology and Pemberton's imprisonment in Olongapo City Jail if proven guilty.

Pemberton, detained at a US facility inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, arrived at the Olongapo City Hall of Justice before 8 a.m. on Tuesday for the second day of his trial, during which Mark Clarence "Barbie" Gelviro, Laude's friend, took the witness stand.

Laude was last seen alive entering a motel with Pemberton in Olongapo City in October last year. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News