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Pemberton's confession will not lead to homicide downgrade – De Lima
By MARK MERUEÑAS, GMA News
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(Updated 8:39 a.m.) Justice Secretary Leila de Lima explained on Tuesday that Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton's admission that he choked and dragged Filipino transgender Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude across the room, would not lead to a downgrade of his murder charge to homicide.
Rather, De Lima said, the US serviceman's admission bolstered the Philippines' murder case against him, and affirmed the evidence presented by Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors in the murder case.
Also, De Lima made it clear that government prosecutors handling the case, led by Olongapo City Prosecutor Emelie Fe delos Santos, would oppose any move from the defense to have the charge downgraded to homicide.
“Our prosecutorial stance remains the same—target Pemberton's conviction for murder, and nothing less,” said the Justice secretary.
While taking the stand during Monday's hearing at the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 74, Pemberton confessed to choking and dragging Laude after discovering that Laude was not biologically female.
According to Harry Roque, the Laude family's private prosecutor, Pemberton had admitted to having eight shots of alcohol and six bottles of beer when he and his American buddies went mall- and bar-hopping.
Roque added that Pemberton had also admitted to meeting two women at the Ambyanz bar and ended up renting a room at the Celzone Lodge with them.
Pemberton then testified that Laude's companion performed oral sex on him before Laude did the same.
The US soldier testified that when he was about to have actual sex with Laude, he felt the transgender's genitals and pushed the victim away in surprise.
Pemberton claimed that Laude then slapped him on the face. He responded by choking Laude until the Filipino lost consciousness.
Pemberton said he then dragged Laude to the bathroom so he could run water from the shower over Laude to help him regain consciousness. But there was no water, so he left the room. — DVM/KG, GMA News
Rather, De Lima said, the US serviceman's admission bolstered the Philippines' murder case against him, and affirmed the evidence presented by Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors in the murder case.
Also, De Lima made it clear that government prosecutors handling the case, led by Olongapo City Prosecutor Emelie Fe delos Santos, would oppose any move from the defense to have the charge downgraded to homicide.
“Our prosecutorial stance remains the same—target Pemberton's conviction for murder, and nothing less,” said the Justice secretary.
While taking the stand during Monday's hearing at the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 74, Pemberton confessed to choking and dragging Laude after discovering that Laude was not biologically female.
According to Harry Roque, the Laude family's private prosecutor, Pemberton had admitted to having eight shots of alcohol and six bottles of beer when he and his American buddies went mall- and bar-hopping.
Roque added that Pemberton had also admitted to meeting two women at the Ambyanz bar and ended up renting a room at the Celzone Lodge with them.
Pemberton then testified that Laude's companion performed oral sex on him before Laude did the same.
The US soldier testified that when he was about to have actual sex with Laude, he felt the transgender's genitals and pushed the victim away in surprise.
Pemberton claimed that Laude then slapped him on the face. He responded by choking Laude until the Filipino lost consciousness.
Pemberton said he then dragged Laude to the bathroom so he could run water from the shower over Laude to help him regain consciousness. But there was no water, so he left the room. — DVM/KG, GMA News
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