Olongapo court releases amended commitment order for Pemberton

The Olongapo Regional Trial Court on Tuesday released the amended commitment order for the detention of US Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was convicted of homicide last week.

According to Branch 74 Clerk of Court Gerry Gruspe, Pemberton will be imprisoned at the Armed Forces of the Philippines detention facility in Camp Aguinaldo.

He will be under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections.

Pemberton is facing six to 12 years in prison in connection with the killing of Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude.

A member of the US forces that participated in the joint military exercises in the Philippines in 2014, Pemberton is covered by the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Under the VFA, US soldiers who are convicted of crimes in the Philippines shall be imprisoned in a facility agreed upon by both countries.

The commitment order was released shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

The VFA Commission, prosecution and defense panels will be given copies of the commitment order on Wednesday.

Pemberton was initially ordered by the court to be detained at the New Bilibid Prison, the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa.

However, Pemberton, through his lawyers and on the same day he was convicted, filed an Urgent Motion for Clarification "to shed light and provide the clarification with regard to the subject agreement."

Pemberton also asked the court that he instead be detained in Camp Aguinaldo.

Eduardo Oban Jr., the executive director of the VFA Commission manifested in open court that the BuCor, DOJ and PNP have agreed that "when necessary, [Pemberton] shall be confined at the AFP Custodial Center, and under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections."

The court, thus, ordered that Pemberton be detained at the AFP detention facility pending the submission of the agreement. —NB, GMA News