Makabayan solons slam Pemberton absolute pardon

Members of the House Makabayan Bloc on Monday slammed the granting of an absolute pardon for US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton who was convicted for the killing of transwoman Jennifer Laude.

In a statement, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite said President Rodrigo Duterte's move to grant Pemberton an absolute pardon was nothing short of "an act of an American lackey."

"Tuta ng Kano! Walang ibang maglalarawan sa ginawang ito ni Pangulong Duterte kundi gawain ng isang tuta ng Kano," he said.

"There is a pending appeal in the court from the family of Jennifer Laude, but this connivance between Malacañang and the United States government ensured that this appeal would not prosper," he added.

Gaite maintained that granting Pemberton an absolute pardon was an injustice to Laude and the Filipino people, and a "mockery" to national dignity and sovereignty.

"With this move, Duterte's fake nationalism has been exposed yet again, and further shows that we shouldn't expect his government to push through with the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement," he said.

For her part, Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas said Duterte had "committed treason" in granting the absolute pardon.

"Pemberton's guilt in the death of Jennifer Laude is loud and clear. This move by President Duterte is an outright disregard for the respect of the Philippine justice system and an affront to our sovereignty. Pardoning such heinous crime is clearly an evidence of betrayal of public trust," she said.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Eufemia Cullamat, meanwhile, slammed Duterte for prioritizing Pemberton's absolute pardon over political prisoners with trumped-up charges.

"Dahil sa naunsyaming paglaya gamit ang GCTA (good conduct time allowance), tuluyang nilantad ng pangulo ang pagpapakatuta niya sa America sa paggawad niya ng absolute pardon kay Pemberton," she said.

"Inuna pa niya ang paglaya ng sundalong amerikanong mamamatay-tao samantalang naparaming bilanggong pulitikal ang nasa kulungan dahil lamang sa gawa-gawang kaso," she added.

The Regional Trial Court in Olongapo City last week ordered Pemberton's early release. He was serving a six-to-10-year sentence for killing Laude.

Pemberton, who has served five years of the sentence, had supposedly earned good conduct time allowances, according to Judge Roline Ginez-Abalde.

The Laude family protested and appealed against the court order, arguing that Pemberton was not eligible for early release via GCTA.

The Bureau of Corrections later suspended Pemberton's release, pending resolution of the Laude family's appeal that the serviceman complete his sentence.

The Department of Justice had also planned to file its own motion asking the Olongapo court to reconsider its order. — DVM, GMA News