Lawyers of Jennifer Laude's kin shocked, angered by pardon on Pemberton

Lawyers for the family of slain transgender woman Jennifer Laude on Monday condemned the absolute pardon granted to the US Marine found guilty of killing her.

President Rodrigo Duterte pardoned Joseph Scott Pemberton on Monday, just over five years into his service of a sentence of six to 10 years. The pardon came amid a legal battle over Pemberton's early release from prison.

"Pagkatapos ng mga pakikipaglaban mo do'n, mga argumento mo doon, pagkatapos ngayon maririnig mo, mababalitaan mo, binigyan ng absolute pardon. Nakakagalit," Laude lawyer Virginia Suarez said over Super Radyo dzBB.

She did not immediately say what action the Laudes would take, acknowledging that the power to pardon was with the president.

An absolute pardon means the "total extinction of the criminal liability of the individual to whom it is granted without any condition."

Public prosecutors were preparing to join the Laude family in contesting a court order for Pemberton's early release when Duterte granted the absolute pardon.

"Moro-moro lang ba ito, yung mga nangyari, mga filings sa court? Baka wala na talaga si Pemberton at pinaalis na nila at lahat ng ito ay para lang ma-justify na dumaan sa tamang proseso," Suarez said.

She asked whether or not the pardon had to do with the Philippine government's suspension of the termination of the country's Visiting Forces Agreement with the US, which its critics claim is skewed in favor of US interests.

Another Laude family lawyer, Rommel Bagares, echoed Suarez's sentiment.

"Nakakalungkot po dahil sinasabi ng ating pangulo noon pa man na meron siyang independent foreign policy, pero nakita natin na 'yung kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan ay nasawalang bahala dahil merong ganitong kasunduan at pinatawad na," Bagares said on Super Radyo dzBB.

The Center for International Law (CenterLaw) said it would confer with its clients.

"The signs had been there all along — the President’s turnaround on the VFA, Secretary Locsin’s statements on renewed cooperation between the US and Philippine armed forces in the South China Sea, and even a sale of US helicopters to the Philippines," CenterLaw said in a statement.

"And the price we had to pay, among other things, is the freedom for Mr Pemberton, and the violation of the rights of poor Filipinos like Jennifer Laude, who are deemed insignificant in the scale of things," it added.

Rowena Flores, Pemberton's lawyer, said the pardon was unexpected.

"Wala pong senyales na mabibigyan siya ng pardon. Pero po malinaw kung ia-aaply natin ang batas na dapat na po lumaya siya kasi ang kanya pong sentensiya ay six years to 10 years," she said.

She also denied there was a political exchange behind the pardon. -NB, GMA News