Laude family not content with Pemberton’s homicide verdict

It was an incomplete victory for the family of Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude when the Ologapo City Regional Trial Court found his killer guilty on Tuesday.

Laude's mother, Julieta, and sisters Marilou and Michelle, faced reporters on Tuesday afternoon in tears, after the Olongapo City RTC found the American suspect, Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, guilty of homicide instead of the more serious crime of murder, for which the US Marine was charged.

"Nasiyahan naman ako doon sa pagbasa dahil inisa-isa, hinimay-himay talaga lahat kung papaano yung ginawa kay Ganda (Julieta's term of endearment for Laude), kung anong kinamatay ni Ganda.... Maganda yung hinimay-himay na binasa pero hindi ako kuntento sa sinabing anim na taon hanggang sampu. Bakit ganun lang?" Julieta said.

"Lumabas naman talaga doon sa tanong sa doktor ang ikinamatay ni Ganda, dahil sa pagkalunod. Tapos parang... Hindi ako kuntento. Pero ganoon pa man ang importante makukulong siya," she added.

Julieta teared up when she said, "Hindi nasayang 'yung ipinaglalaban namin. Makukulong siya. Hindi nasayang ang buhay ng anak ko."

"Ang hindi ko lang matanggap, baka na naman isang araw lang, o dalawang araw, makita yan si Pemberton nagsha-shopping na pala doon sa US kapag hindi nila sinurrender," Julieta said.

Laude's sister Marilou said that six to twelve years of improsinment is not enough.

"Hindi ako kontento sa anim hanggang 12 taon (na pagkakakulong) pero ang importante, makukulong siya... Sa ngayon po, napakahirap na bakit ganoon... na mas nakakalamang pa ang mga taga ibang bansa, na mas pinapanigan ang US kaysa sa Pilipino," she said.

Laude's other sister Michelle also expressed her disappointement.

"Masakit dahil hindi 'yon ang ine-expect namin na mangyari. Ang mga binasa na statement, nakikita eh, wala na. Pinatay. It means murder," she said.

Still, the Laude camp expressed its gratitude for the verdict, noting it's a first.

"Mapait na panalo po ito," lawyer Harry Roque, the family's legal counsel, said.

"We have to recognize that there is some victory here," added lawyer Virgie Suarez.

Roque also pointed out that although the court has decided to termporarily detain Pemberton at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa Cty, it is still unclear which side will get custody.

"Hindi malinaw kung sino talaga ang may kustodiya kay Pemberton," he said. — Trisha Macas and Andrei Medina/RSJ/NB, GMA News