Nan Yang
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Blaming the victim ? Unbelievable...coming form a Filipino.
IT SHOULD BE ......
If the the marine had a little more patience, Jennifer would be still alive.
U.S. warships stay in Philippines amid transgender murder probe
- Thread starter xunzi
- Start date
Blaming the victim ? Unbelievable...coming form a Filipino.
IT SHOULD BE ......
If the the marine had a little more patience, Jennifer would be still alive.
Cossack25A1
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Sadly, if that happens, USA will turn blind eye as they see South Korea, Japan and Taiwan as more important. We are just cannon-fodders for the Americans, a giant bulls-eye target for the Chinese, a spiritual slave for the Vatican and a pawn for ASEAN and Japan.
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News Update:
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Pemberton must show up Tuesday–De Lima
Christine O. Avendaño, Jerome C. Aning |Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:07 am | Tuesday, October 21st, 2014
The USS Peleliu at Subic Bay where US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton (inset) is reportedly held until the investigation of the US soldier’s involvement in the killing of a Filipino transgender in Olongapo City is done. AP/INSET PHOTO FROM PEMBERTO’S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
MANILA, Philippines–US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton has no reason not to appear in Tuesday’s preliminary investigation of the killing of transgender Filipino Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude at the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Monday.
“The city prosecutor will insist on his personal appearance so that no one will say that there is special treatment, so that it cannot be said that the stance of the government, especially the Department of Justice, is soft, considering that the case is now in our level,” DeLima told reporters.
“If he does not appear and does not submit an affidavit, then his right to file one will be considered waived. The prosecutor will not readily accept a counteraffidavit that is not sworn to and subscribed before him,” she said.
The US Embassy said on Sunday it would produce Pemberton but his appearance in legal proceedings was for his lawyer to decide.
‘For his own sake’
Pemberton, who is being held aboard the USS Peleliu, which is docked at the Subic Bay Freeport, should appear at the preliminary investigation “for his own sake,” according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, spokesman for the DFA, said Pemberton would run the risk of being recommended for murder charges if he failed to show up in the preliminary investigation and submit a counteraffidavit.
“I think the Filipino [lawyer of Pemberton] should advise him to appear for his own sake,” Jose said.
Four other US Marines, called in as witnesses to the killing of Laude, gave statements to prosecutors last week and left the Philippines.
Jose said the DFA was not informed by the US side about the departure of the servicemen, as the United States was “not required to do so.”
‘They are free’
“[According to the] prosecutor, they have already satisfied the legal requirements,” Jose said. “Moreover, the US has given an assurance that they will make available the witnesses at the trial.”
Jose said the four other Marines were not respondents in the case so “they are free.”
US Embassy press attaché Kurt Hoyer said the four Marines were no longer in the Philippines but they would be brought back for the trial.
He said there was no need for the four to appear in the preliminary investigation Tuesday because they submitted statements and were sworn to their statements by prosecutors last week.
But Sen. Francis Escudero said the DFA and the DOJ should demand the presence of the four Marines in investigative and court proceedings.
Escudero said that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) calls not only for respect of law, but also demands obligation to make US personnel available for investigative or judicial proceedings.
Jose said the Olongapo city prosecutor expected Pemberton to appear for preliminary investigation Tuesday “in accordance with the VFA.”
Witnesses have identified Pemberton as the man who checked in with Laude at Celzone Lodge in Olongapo about half an hour before she was found dead in the bathroom of a room in the motel late on Oct. 11.
Police opened criminal proceedings against Pemberton after Laude’s family filed a complaint for murder against the US Marine on Oct. 15.
Ready to forgive
Julita Laude, the victim’s mother, said Monday that she was ready to forgive Pemberton, but the serviceman should admit killing her daughter.
“If he will admit what he did to my child, we are ready to forgive him. But it does not mean that we will not seek justice,” she said.
Laude and her daughter Marilou, the complainant in the case, called on the US government to bring Pemberton to the preliminary investigation.
“As we have been saying, we want to see him in person because that’s the only assurance we have that he is still in the country,” Marilou Laude said.
De Lima said that a respondent may choose not to appear in the preliminary investigation, but only if the prosecutor would allow it.
“There are respondents who choose not to appear citing whatever reason. They can submit an affidavit subscribed before a notary public. But what I know is that’s not easily allowed by the court unless there is a compelling reason why the respondent does not want to show up. In this case, I see no reason why [Pemberton cannot appear] before the city prosecutor,” she said.
To fight for custody
De Lima said she believed it was still “premature” to demand custody of Pemberton because the complaint against him was still in the preliminary investigation stage.
She added, however, that the DOJ was ready to fight for custody “in due time,” adding that the agency was already preparing a position paper on the matter.
De Lima said she had given instructions to expedite the proceedings and to ward off unnecessary delays.
“The commitment of the prosecutor’s office is they [will] expedite the preliminary investigation. The guidance I gave them was not to allow dilatory maneuvers, not to allow unreasonable [moves] for postponement,” she said.
Senate inquiry
De Lima confirmed that the witness in Laude’s killing, identified as “Barbie,” will appear in the Senate inquiry into the incident.
The inquiry by the Senate foreign relations committee headed by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago begins on Wednesday.
Santiago wrote De Lima on Monday asking her to allow Barbie, whose real name is Mark Clarence Gelviro, and Elias A. Galamos of Celzone Lodge to testify in the Senate inquiry.
“Their testimonies will be absolutely essential for the Senate to carry out the mandate to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation,” Santiago told De Lima in her letter.
Santiago also invited Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Eduardo Oban of the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement, and Philippine National Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima to the hearing.
Julita and Marilou Laude will also attend the Senate hearing.
De Lima said Barbie had been provisionally admitted into the government’s Witness Protection Program but she had not yet spoken with the witness.
She said three witnesses have applied for protection and that she was waiting for the recommendation of the program’s chief.–With reports from TJ Burgonio in Manila and Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon
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Pemberton must show up Tuesday–De Lima | Inquirer Global Nation
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TaiShang
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'Justice for Jennifer': Protests Sweep Philippines Following US Marine's Alleged Murder of Transgender Woman
Amid expanding U.S. military presence in Philippines, killing renews calls to expel U.S. troops from the country
Protests continue across the Philippines following news of the murder of Jennifer Laude, a transgender Filipina woman, allegedly at the hands of a U.S. marine in Olongapo City. Coming just months after the U.S. signed a controversial pact to boost its military presence in the Philippines, protesters say the killing is stoking deep-rooted anger over the U.S. military's treatment of Philippine civilians and prompting renewed calls to boot U.S. troops from the country.
"We are not only hoping to be able to bring justice to our fellow Filipina, but also to force the U.S. and Philippine governments to rethink their strategy in the region," Joms Salvador, Secretary General of GABRIELA—a Philippine alliance of women's movement organizations—told Common Dreams on Friday over the phone from Manila.
"Here We Go Again"
Jennifer Laude, 26 years old, was killed in a Olongapo City hotel room on October 11, with signs that she may have been beaten and strangled. Philippine police on Wednesdaycharged a U.S. marine, Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, with the murder. Pemberton was one of 3,500 U.S. military service members taking part in a joint military exercise with the Philippines
U.S. military officials, who have not publicly confirmed or denied Pemberton's identity, say that a marine under investigation is currently being held by the U.S. military on the USS Peleliu, an amphibious vessel currently in the Subic Bay free port northwest of Manila.
The Philippine government served a subpoena for Pemberton on Friday. However, past atrocities, and relative immunity for U.S. troops in the Philippines, leave many skeptical that the U.S. service member will be held to account.
In the infamous Subic Bay rape case in 2005, Lance Corporal Daniel Smith—who was found guilty in Philippine court of raping a Filipina woman while other Marines watched—was transferred from Philippine to U.S. custody. His conviction was later overturned, and he was never made to serve the life sentence handed to him by a Philippine court.
Bernadette Ellorin, New York-based Chairperson of BAYAN-USA, an alliance of Filipino organizations in the U.S., told Common Dreams that she considers the killing of Laude a "hate crime against a transgender woman." Ellorin continued, "There is a long history of the U.S. military committing heinous acts against people in the Philippines and not really being brought to justice because military agreements more or less protect them."
Amid expanding U.S. military presence in Philippines, killing renews calls to expel U.S. troops from the country
Protests continue across the Philippines following news of the murder of Jennifer Laude, a transgender Filipina woman, allegedly at the hands of a U.S. marine in Olongapo City. Coming just months after the U.S. signed a controversial pact to boost its military presence in the Philippines, protesters say the killing is stoking deep-rooted anger over the U.S. military's treatment of Philippine civilians and prompting renewed calls to boot U.S. troops from the country.
"We are not only hoping to be able to bring justice to our fellow Filipina, but also to force the U.S. and Philippine governments to rethink their strategy in the region," Joms Salvador, Secretary General of GABRIELA—a Philippine alliance of women's movement organizations—told Common Dreams on Friday over the phone from Manila.
"Here We Go Again"
Jennifer Laude, 26 years old, was killed in a Olongapo City hotel room on October 11, with signs that she may have been beaten and strangled. Philippine police on Wednesdaycharged a U.S. marine, Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, with the murder. Pemberton was one of 3,500 U.S. military service members taking part in a joint military exercise with the Philippines
U.S. military officials, who have not publicly confirmed or denied Pemberton's identity, say that a marine under investigation is currently being held by the U.S. military on the USS Peleliu, an amphibious vessel currently in the Subic Bay free port northwest of Manila.
The Philippine government served a subpoena for Pemberton on Friday. However, past atrocities, and relative immunity for U.S. troops in the Philippines, leave many skeptical that the U.S. service member will be held to account.
In the infamous Subic Bay rape case in 2005, Lance Corporal Daniel Smith—who was found guilty in Philippine court of raping a Filipina woman while other Marines watched—was transferred from Philippine to U.S. custody. His conviction was later overturned, and he was never made to serve the life sentence handed to him by a Philippine court.
Bernadette Ellorin, New York-based Chairperson of BAYAN-USA, an alliance of Filipino organizations in the U.S., told Common Dreams that she considers the killing of Laude a "hate crime against a transgender woman." Ellorin continued, "There is a long history of the U.S. military committing heinous acts against people in the Philippines and not really being brought to justice because military agreements more or less protect them."
"Here we go again," said Salvador. "We have another case, and we are still not sure if there will be justice for Jennifer and her family."
Expanding U.S. Military Presence
Meanwhile, the U.S. military presence in the Philippines, enabled by mounting pacts between the U.S. and the Philippines, is growing.
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the U.S. and the Philippines, signed in April, is a 10 year deal that allows the U.S. to drastically increase its military presence in the Philippines. The accord is part of an Obama administration push for a military pivot to the Asia-Pacific region in a bid to hedge against China's rising power.
The pact is broadly opposed in the Philippines, as it reverses a 1992 decision by the Philippine government, under pressure from the public, to kick the U.S. out of its last permanent base in the country, located in Subic Bay. Social movements in the Philippines have long opposed U.S. power over their country, which includes more than five decades of direct colonial rule and the backing of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
However, the 1992 decision did not actually keep the U.S. military out. The U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement, signed in 1998, allowed the U.S. to establish over 20 "semi permanent" military installations in the country. It also includes language that has been used by the U.S. military to shield service members from Philippine laws, including in the Subic Bay rape case.
Residents say that the U.S. military, and the agreements protecting it, is deeply destructive to local communities. Soldiers commit atrocities with impunity, said Salvador. And the military's environmental destruction and waste dumping harms ecosystems and public health. This includes a U.S. Navy ship's damage last year to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, which the U.S. still has not paid reparations for.
"There are also concerns about the displacement of many communities because the U.S. military is already building facilities in several parts of the country, including Oyster Bay in the Pelawan Islands, which is home to indigenous communities," Salvador continued. "The U.S. military has not been fully been held responsible for the damage it has done."
"Justice for Jennifer"
Salvador says that protests in the country are issuing calls for the U.S. military to leave, and "bringing to the fore" the pressing issue of LGBTQ and women's rights.
"Every day there have been protests in front of the U.S. embassy in Manila or the department of foreign affairs office in Manila," she said. "Protests are taking place in schools, in communities, and other parts of the country. We are seeing not only women's and LGBTQ organizations protesting, but also students, workers, and poor people. Even media personalities, legislators, and actors, who before were not vocal about their views, have recently also shared their indignation over Jennifer's murder."
Demonstrations have taken place across the U.S., including New York, San Francisco, and Lost Angeles. "The response has been overwhelming from our community and the LGBTQ community as well," said Ellorin. "Transgender people are taking leadership and sticking up for value of Jennifer's life."
"We are demanding justice for Jennifer," Ellorin added. "We can't take the context away: there is a problem with us military presence in the Philippines."
The United States should hand over this marine.
Not a pawn, my friend. We value our equal relationship with our Filipino friends. We have selected Philippines to be the manufacturing hub of ASEAN, as we are planning to offshore many production facilities in Philippines. We do this and select your nation because we trust the country's potential for growth, the people and society. And as we came to the aid of your people last November during the aftermath of Haiyan, we will always be there for our Filipino friends. Our "Ka ibigan" !
Not a pawn, my friend. We value our equal relationship with our Filipino friends. We have selected Philippines to be the manufacturing hub of ASEAN, as we are planning to offshore many production facilities in Philippines. We do this and select your nation because we trust the country's potential for growth, the people and society. And as we came to the aid of your people last November during the aftermath of Haiyan, we will always be there for our Filipino friends. Our "Ka ibigan" !
Zero_wing
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Wow burn as if your one to talk
The United States should hand over this marine.
Not a pawn, my friend. We value our equal relationship with our Filipino friends. We have selected Philippines to be the manufacturing hub of ASEAN, as we are planning to offshore many production facilities in Philippines. We do this and select your nation because we trust the country's potential for growth, the people and society. And as we came to the aid of your people last November during the aftermath of Haiyan, we will always be there for our Filipino friends. Our "Ka ibigan" !
Comrade Kaibigan is one word anyway this the opnion of kabayan cossack but the chinese imperials are having a field day trying to cover their evils with this one so let them be the paid chincom maoist slaves will not get what they want so let them use this issue like all the others.
Cossack25A1
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Pemberton detained at Aguinaldo
By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 23, 2014 - 12:00am
US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, suspect in the killing of transgender Jeffrey ‘Jenny’ Laude, is escorted to his detention at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday. AP
DFA: Phl exercising jurisdiction in slay
MANILA, Philippines - From the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu, US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton was flown yesterday to Camp Aguinaldo in handcuffs and held in an air-conditioned 20-foot shipping container.
Pemberton is likely to remain in the special detention facility while awaiting possible indictment for the death of Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude in Olongapo City on Oct. 11.
The US helicopter carrying Pemberton from the Peleliu in Subic Bay landed at the compound of the Joint United States Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) at Camp Aguinaldo at about 8:45 a.m.
President Aquino – at a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines – called the transfer “a healthy development” and in conformity with provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, for his part, told a Senate panel the Philippines would continue to assert its “primary jurisdiction” over the case.
“We are actually exercising our jurisdiction over this heinous crime allegedly committed by a US serviceman. We have not hesitated to inform the US authorities that the Philippines is exercising its primary jurisdiction over the case and we are not conceding this right,” Del Rosario said.
Pemberton emerged from the helicopter handcuffed and wearing a helmet.
With Pemberton’s transfer to Camp Aguinaldo, the USS Peleliu was allowed to leave the Philippines.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement chief Eduardo Oban and JUSMAG joint operations division chief Col. Michael Wylie received the 19-year-old Marine.
Catapang told reporters the transfer of Pemberton to the JUSMAG compound was “mutually agreed upon” by both the governments of the US and the Philippines and that it was only temporary.
“The court will decide on the appropriate detention facility once a case has been filed against the accused,” Catapang said.
Oban echoed Catapang’s view during a Senate panel hearing later in the day.
Pemberton did not attend the preliminary investigation of the murder case against him at the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office last Oct. 21.
The US, through its embassy, made clear yesterday Pemberton is still under its custody.
“In accordance with the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the United States has a right to retain custody of a suspect from the commission of the alleged offense until completion of all judicial proceedings,” the embassy said.
“The VFA is a key part of that relationship, and the United States plans to continue to work closely with the Philippine government to help ensure justice is served and the rights of all persons are protected,” it pointed out.
Highly secured
The highly secured JUSMAG compound is situated between the official residence of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and the headquarters of the AFP-National Development Support Command (Nadescom).
Even Filipino military personnel are barred from entering the compound without prior coordination with their US counterparts. The JUSMAG compound has been described as a US camp within an AFP camp.
Two US servicemen from the US Marine Custodial Unit would be tasked to guard Pemberton’s detention cell, while two AFP military policemen would secure the perimeter.
Catapang said Pemberton’s cell needs to be air-conditioned “because he will die of suffocation without it.” The US government will provide Pemberton’s meals and other needs.
He said the dos and don’ts on Pemberton’s detention are still being threshed out, like whether he would be allowed to use cellular phones or computers.
Witnesses said Pemberton and 26-year-old Laude had some drinks at the Ambyanz Disco bar in Olongapo City on the night of Oct. 11 before checking into Celzone Lodge. Laude was later found dead in their rented room before midnight after Pemberton had left.
The US Marine was part of the 4,000 American soldiers and sailors who engaged Filipino troops in joint naval exercise called Philippine-US Amphibious Landing Exercises 2015 (PHIBLEX 2015) in Palawan, Zambales and other parts of Central Luzon.
Phl’s discretion
Even as the US was invoking its right to keep Pemberton under its custody by citing provisions in the VFA, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Philippine government “has also the discretion to insist further on his continued custody by Philippine authorities, by citing compelling or extraordinary reasons.”
This was contrary to an earlier pronouncement from Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano that the US government may take Pemberton into custody even if he is under jurisdiction of Philippine authorities.
Justiniano, one of the defense lawyers of the four US Marines who stood trial for the 2005 rape of Suzette Nicolas alias Nicole in Subic, cited Article 5 Section 6 of the VFA, which provides that “the custody of any United States personnel over whom the Philippines is to exercise jurisdiction shall immediately reside with United States military authorities, if they so request, from the commission of the offense until completion of all judicial proceedings.”
De Lima said Pemberton’s transfer to Camp Aguinaldo was a signal that the Philippines was taking custody of the US serviceman.
She said the VFA commission may have quietly worked for the transfer through diplomatic channels.
“It just showed that they (US government) willingly gave Pemberton to our custody while waiting for the results of the PI (preliminary investigation). Their main commitment under the VFA is to ensure his availability and accessibility for purposes of investigation and judicial proceedings,” she explained.
De Lima issued the statement after militant lawmakers led by Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello sought her opinion on the issue.
She also said the US may pursue its own probe on the Laude case through its Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
“Even if we have primary jurisdiction over the case, it does not mean that the US military authorities are barred from investigating,” she explained.
“Under US military laws, they should also conduct investigation. If that is so, there’s nothing wrong with that because they have the right to investigate for their own purposes,” she added.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the transfer of Pemberton should reassure Filipinos and the family of Laude that the soldier would not be allowed to leave the country.
“While the US military authorities will continue to have their legal hold over him, the presence of AFP forces guarding the area should reassure the Filipino people, especially the family and loved ones of Jennifer Laude, that the Philippines is aware of his location at all times and that he will not be departing the country until the conclusion of the entire process as we seek justice for the tragic killing of Jennifer Laude,” Jose said.
“The Philippines retains jurisdiction over the case and the process will continue,” he added. “We know his location at all times because he’s inside Philippine territory.”
Special treatment
For Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Pemberton was still enjoying special treatment despite his transfer to Camp Aguinaldo.
“What strikes me as offensive is that although he is in a so-called detention facility, which is I think a van inside the military camp, he is being guarded by Americans. What for? What is he being guarded for?” Santiago said after presiding over a hearing on the VFA and on Laude’s murder.
Santiago chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, which conducted the hearing. She called the transfer a “US engineered” and “sham” Philippine custody over Pemberton.
Del Rosario told Santiago’s panel the transfer came after the DFA’s sending the US embassy a note verbale asking for Philippine custody over the soldier.
DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said they made it clear with US authorities that the Philippine government would not allow embassy detention for Pemberton.
“In fact, if I may, we even invoked Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s name, saying that she will not allow it,” De Vega said. To which, Santiago reacted, “Yes, I would really rather die.”
She said she finds it “offensive” and “unacceptable” that Pemberton remains under US custody despite being moved to a spot within Philippine territory.
“I find that offensive to us, because it indicates that there is no trust on the capability of our own Armed Forces,” she said. “If we did this in America, if, for example, there was a Filipino who was in a detention facility there by joint agreement of the two governments, and there were already American guards, can we insist that there be Filipino guards there? I find that unacceptable.”
Santiago deplored that Pemberton “arrived by helicopter, protected from accusing eyes” and detained in an air-conditioned facility.
“Outside his door are American guards. Outside the facility are Philippine soldiers. The mere physical arrangement indicates that he is being guarded against his Filipino critics,” she said.
“If you read the VFA thoroughly, you will find that the custody requested by our government takes place ‘from the time of the commission of the offense to the termination of judicial proceedings.’”
This means, she said, the US should have surrendered Pemberton immediately after he was named a suspect in Laude’s murder.
Laude family’s counsel, Harry Roque, also slammed the transfer of Pemberton to Camp Aguinaldo. “If he really is now under Philippine jurisdiction, Laude’s family has the right under the Human Rights Law, to see him personally and ask him why he committed the crime,” he said in Filipino. - With Christina Mendez, Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Pia Lee-Brago, Edu Punay
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Pemberton detained at Aguinaldo | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 23, 2014 - 12:00am
US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, suspect in the killing of transgender Jeffrey ‘Jenny’ Laude, is escorted to his detention at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday. AP
DFA: Phl exercising jurisdiction in slay
MANILA, Philippines - From the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu, US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton was flown yesterday to Camp Aguinaldo in handcuffs and held in an air-conditioned 20-foot shipping container.
Pemberton is likely to remain in the special detention facility while awaiting possible indictment for the death of Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude in Olongapo City on Oct. 11.
The US helicopter carrying Pemberton from the Peleliu in Subic Bay landed at the compound of the Joint United States Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) at Camp Aguinaldo at about 8:45 a.m.
President Aquino – at a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines – called the transfer “a healthy development” and in conformity with provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, for his part, told a Senate panel the Philippines would continue to assert its “primary jurisdiction” over the case.
“We are actually exercising our jurisdiction over this heinous crime allegedly committed by a US serviceman. We have not hesitated to inform the US authorities that the Philippines is exercising its primary jurisdiction over the case and we are not conceding this right,” Del Rosario said.
Pemberton emerged from the helicopter handcuffed and wearing a helmet.
With Pemberton’s transfer to Camp Aguinaldo, the USS Peleliu was allowed to leave the Philippines.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement chief Eduardo Oban and JUSMAG joint operations division chief Col. Michael Wylie received the 19-year-old Marine.
Catapang told reporters the transfer of Pemberton to the JUSMAG compound was “mutually agreed upon” by both the governments of the US and the Philippines and that it was only temporary.
“The court will decide on the appropriate detention facility once a case has been filed against the accused,” Catapang said.
Oban echoed Catapang’s view during a Senate panel hearing later in the day.
Pemberton did not attend the preliminary investigation of the murder case against him at the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office last Oct. 21.
The US, through its embassy, made clear yesterday Pemberton is still under its custody.
“In accordance with the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the United States has a right to retain custody of a suspect from the commission of the alleged offense until completion of all judicial proceedings,” the embassy said.
“The VFA is a key part of that relationship, and the United States plans to continue to work closely with the Philippine government to help ensure justice is served and the rights of all persons are protected,” it pointed out.
Highly secured
The highly secured JUSMAG compound is situated between the official residence of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and the headquarters of the AFP-National Development Support Command (Nadescom).
Even Filipino military personnel are barred from entering the compound without prior coordination with their US counterparts. The JUSMAG compound has been described as a US camp within an AFP camp.
Two US servicemen from the US Marine Custodial Unit would be tasked to guard Pemberton’s detention cell, while two AFP military policemen would secure the perimeter.
Catapang said Pemberton’s cell needs to be air-conditioned “because he will die of suffocation without it.” The US government will provide Pemberton’s meals and other needs.
He said the dos and don’ts on Pemberton’s detention are still being threshed out, like whether he would be allowed to use cellular phones or computers.
Witnesses said Pemberton and 26-year-old Laude had some drinks at the Ambyanz Disco bar in Olongapo City on the night of Oct. 11 before checking into Celzone Lodge. Laude was later found dead in their rented room before midnight after Pemberton had left.
The US Marine was part of the 4,000 American soldiers and sailors who engaged Filipino troops in joint naval exercise called Philippine-US Amphibious Landing Exercises 2015 (PHIBLEX 2015) in Palawan, Zambales and other parts of Central Luzon.
Phl’s discretion
Even as the US was invoking its right to keep Pemberton under its custody by citing provisions in the VFA, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Philippine government “has also the discretion to insist further on his continued custody by Philippine authorities, by citing compelling or extraordinary reasons.”
This was contrary to an earlier pronouncement from Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano that the US government may take Pemberton into custody even if he is under jurisdiction of Philippine authorities.
Justiniano, one of the defense lawyers of the four US Marines who stood trial for the 2005 rape of Suzette Nicolas alias Nicole in Subic, cited Article 5 Section 6 of the VFA, which provides that “the custody of any United States personnel over whom the Philippines is to exercise jurisdiction shall immediately reside with United States military authorities, if they so request, from the commission of the offense until completion of all judicial proceedings.”
De Lima said Pemberton’s transfer to Camp Aguinaldo was a signal that the Philippines was taking custody of the US serviceman.
She said the VFA commission may have quietly worked for the transfer through diplomatic channels.
“It just showed that they (US government) willingly gave Pemberton to our custody while waiting for the results of the PI (preliminary investigation). Their main commitment under the VFA is to ensure his availability and accessibility for purposes of investigation and judicial proceedings,” she explained.
De Lima issued the statement after militant lawmakers led by Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello sought her opinion on the issue.
She also said the US may pursue its own probe on the Laude case through its Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
“Even if we have primary jurisdiction over the case, it does not mean that the US military authorities are barred from investigating,” she explained.
“Under US military laws, they should also conduct investigation. If that is so, there’s nothing wrong with that because they have the right to investigate for their own purposes,” she added.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the transfer of Pemberton should reassure Filipinos and the family of Laude that the soldier would not be allowed to leave the country.
“While the US military authorities will continue to have their legal hold over him, the presence of AFP forces guarding the area should reassure the Filipino people, especially the family and loved ones of Jennifer Laude, that the Philippines is aware of his location at all times and that he will not be departing the country until the conclusion of the entire process as we seek justice for the tragic killing of Jennifer Laude,” Jose said.
“The Philippines retains jurisdiction over the case and the process will continue,” he added. “We know his location at all times because he’s inside Philippine territory.”
Special treatment
For Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Pemberton was still enjoying special treatment despite his transfer to Camp Aguinaldo.
“What strikes me as offensive is that although he is in a so-called detention facility, which is I think a van inside the military camp, he is being guarded by Americans. What for? What is he being guarded for?” Santiago said after presiding over a hearing on the VFA and on Laude’s murder.
Santiago chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, which conducted the hearing. She called the transfer a “US engineered” and “sham” Philippine custody over Pemberton.
Del Rosario told Santiago’s panel the transfer came after the DFA’s sending the US embassy a note verbale asking for Philippine custody over the soldier.
DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said they made it clear with US authorities that the Philippine government would not allow embassy detention for Pemberton.
“In fact, if I may, we even invoked Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s name, saying that she will not allow it,” De Vega said. To which, Santiago reacted, “Yes, I would really rather die.”
She said she finds it “offensive” and “unacceptable” that Pemberton remains under US custody despite being moved to a spot within Philippine territory.
“I find that offensive to us, because it indicates that there is no trust on the capability of our own Armed Forces,” she said. “If we did this in America, if, for example, there was a Filipino who was in a detention facility there by joint agreement of the two governments, and there were already American guards, can we insist that there be Filipino guards there? I find that unacceptable.”
Santiago deplored that Pemberton “arrived by helicopter, protected from accusing eyes” and detained in an air-conditioned facility.
“Outside his door are American guards. Outside the facility are Philippine soldiers. The mere physical arrangement indicates that he is being guarded against his Filipino critics,” she said.
“If you read the VFA thoroughly, you will find that the custody requested by our government takes place ‘from the time of the commission of the offense to the termination of judicial proceedings.’”
This means, she said, the US should have surrendered Pemberton immediately after he was named a suspect in Laude’s murder.
Laude family’s counsel, Harry Roque, also slammed the transfer of Pemberton to Camp Aguinaldo. “If he really is now under Philippine jurisdiction, Laude’s family has the right under the Human Rights Law, to see him personally and ask him why he committed the crime,” he said in Filipino. - With Christina Mendez, Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Pia Lee-Brago, Edu Punay
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Pemberton detained at Aguinaldo | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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Infra_Man99
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Zero_wing the white trash thinks everyone is as dumb, dishonest, and as brainwashed as he is. He's burning in his own nonsense. A quick search reveals the following news.
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US sailors wear out sex workers
US sailors wear out sex workers - theage.com.au
May 2 2002
Perth prostitutes were reeling from exhaustion following an influx of United States sailors stressed from a stint in a war zone, a well-known madam said today.
Mary-Anne Kenworthy said she was forced to close the doors of her famous Langtrees brothel for only the third time ever yesterday because her prostitutes were so worn out they could no longer provide a quality service.
. . . .
Langtrees did a week's business in just three days after 5,500 American sailors disembarked in Fremantle on Sunday, many of them stressed from their encounter with war, she said.
Three US warships - the aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis, the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal and the fast combat support ship USS Bridge - were returning from taking part in the war against terror.
. . . .
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Rape in the U.S. military
Rape in the U.S. military - LA Times
Jan 30, 2008
. . . .
The case Ream refers to is not an isolated incident of fraternal militarism being used to excuse sexual violence. In a recent court case in Lebanon, Penn., an Army Reserve sergeant was convicted of indecent assault after rape charges were dropped when fellow soldiers who were present at the incident refused to cooperate with police. Responding to the verdict, the defendant's attorney said she thought he should have been cleared of all charges. "After all, he did serve his country."
Unfortunately, this mind-set is consistent with the Pentagon's very poor record of prosecuting sexual assault and rape within the ranks while at the same time disregarding and further victimizing those who report these heinous crimes. To put these cases in perspective, there were 2,947 reports of sexual assaults in the military in 2006, an increase in reports of 24% over 2005. However, very few of these cases tend to be prosecuted. A Pentagon report [PDF] in March 2007 found that more than half of the investigations dating back to 2004 resulted in no action. When action was taken, only one third of the cases resulted in courts-martial.
Indeed, in many cases, the military seems more intent on intimidating and harassing the victims than investigating and prosecuting the charges. In 2004, after Lt. Jennifer Dyer reported being raped by a fellow officer at Camp Shelby, Miss., she said she was held in seclusion for three days, read her Miranda rights and threatened with criminal prosecution for filing a false report. After finally being given two weeks leave, she was threatened with prosecution for being AWOL when she would not report for duty to the same location where the man she had accused who was later acquitted on assault charges was still posted.
. . . .
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'When a gunnery sergeant tells you to take off your clothes, you better take off your clothes': The male victims of military rape tell their heartbreaking stories
Male victims of military rape tell their stories to GQ | Daily Mail Online
Updated: 11:43 EST, 16 September 2014
. . . .
Though women are more likely to be the victims of rape in the military, male-on-male rape is still a serious problem sweeping the U.S. armed forces.
In a recent GQ article, more than a dozen veterans and current service men came forward to tell of their sexual assault, and how the military institution failed time and time again to bring their predators to justice or get them the psychiatric help they needed.
When a man enters the military he is ten times likelier to be sexually abused, and in 2012 alone there were an estimated 14,200 reports of male rape.
. . . .
The power structure within the military also makes these attacks more prevalent, because men in lower ranks may find it hard to report their attackers if they are superiors.
'When a gunnery sergeant tells you to take off your clothes, you better take off your clothes. You don't ask questions,' former Marine Sam Madrid (name changed) said.
Before 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was repealed, it also meant the possibility of a dishonorable discharge for engaging in homosexual behavior.
When Kole Walsh was assaulted during his time in the Army in 2007, he decided not to report the incident for fear it could harm his military goals.
. . . .
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Italy Is Getting Fed Up with American Soldiers
Italy Is Getting Fed Up with American Soldiers | VICE News
August 3, 2014 | 11:10 am
. . . .
After Germany, Italy is the European country with the highest number of American military bases. According to David Vine, assistant professor of Anthropology at the American University in Washington, DC, “the Pentagon has spent the last two decades throwing hundreds of millions of tax dollars into military bases in Italy, turning the country into an increasingly important center for US military power.” Obviously, many Italians aren't that excited about parts of their country becoming the US military's Magaluf.
. . . .
But the complains didn't stop the construction of the base annex, and Vicenza automatically became a city locked between two American bases — bases that count over 12,000 American citizens, among a total of 113,000 city inhabitants. When you walk in the Vicenza city center, the presence of such an extended American community is practically invisible. Every now and then, however, a news report casts a dark shadow on the behavior of some American soldiers.
One such incident took place earlier this month, on the night of July 14, 2014. Two American paratroopers based in the Ederle and Dal Molin barracks reportedly abducted a pregnant Romanian prostitute and held her hostage for longer than two hours. According to the Italian press, they heavily beat, raped, and robbed the woman and finally abandoned her in the middle of a forest in a semi-unconscious state.
The two soldiers were quickly identified after the victim reported the license plate number of the car they were driving. One of them — who later tried to commit suicide — was already under investigation for sexual violence and abduction towards an underage girl from Vicenza.
That episode dates back to November 2013. The girl had met the accused in a club near the Caserma Ederle post. According to her deposition, once she got out of the club, the soldier, who was drunk, started following her and "took me to a nearby alley and attacked me. He covered my mouth and brutally raped me.”
Despite the requests, the soldier was not held in detention because he was supposed to be quickly transferred from Vicenza.
He wasn't so lucky this time. As the Italian Minister of Justice, Andrea Orlando, tweeted a day after their arrest, on the 25th of July, “the two American soldiers will be tried in Italy. There will be no waiver of jurisdiction.”
The decision to exercise jurisdiction in the case wasn't easy for Italy. According to Article 7 of the 1951 London Convention, NATO soldiers accused of crimes in foreign countries have a right to be tried in their own country — if requested — rather than in the receiving State. According to an investigative report by the Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper, Italy in the last year and a half has given up its right to exercise its jurisdiction in the majority of its cases — 91 over 113.
. . . .
Another infamous case was the one involving paratrooper James Michael Brown. In 2004, after returning to Vicenza from Iraq, the American soldier beat up, handcuffed and raped a Nigerian prostitute. In 2006, the Court of Vicenza – the trial having been exceptionally held in Italy — sentenced him to five years and eight months and 100,000 € in compensation. The crime would have earned him a longer sentence, but the court reduced the penalty explaining that his time in Iraq had made him “less sensitive to the suffering for others.” In the end, Brown only served a year of precautionary custody, before being sent off to Germany and finally back to the States.
. . . .
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Two U.S. servicemen imprisoned for rape in Japan
Two U.S. servicemen imprisoned for rape in Japan - CNN.com
updated 5:26 PM EST, Fri March 1, 2013
. . . .
A Japanese court Friday sentenced two American servicemen to prison for a rape committed last year while they were on duty at a U.S. military base in Okinawa.
The Naha District Court handed down a sentence of 10 years to Navy Seaman Christopher Daniel Browning and nine years to Petty Officer Skyler A Dozierwalker for raping a Japanese woman after attacking her in a parking lot.
The rape occurred in October 2012.
. . . .
The incident has prompted a women's group in Okinawa to call for more restrictions on what U.S. military personnel can do when they are off-base.
Violent crimes, especially rapes, by U.S. troops in Japan have divided the two countries for decades.
The issue came to a peak in 1995 when a sailor and two Marines -- both American -- were convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl.
Tens of thousands of Okinawans took to the streets at the time, demanding that the United States leave the island south of Japan's main islands.
In that case, the U.S. military at first declined to turn over the suspects to Japanese authorities. But in the most recent case, the suspects were in Japanese custody almost immediately.
. . . .
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Cossack25A1
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Pemberton did not know Laude was a transgender
By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 23, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton did not know Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude was a transgender, a witness told the Senate as it opened its own inquiry yesterday into the Oct. 11 killing.
Evidence recovered at the crime scene also indicated anal sex occurred in the hotel room where Laude was found dead, although it has not yet been determined who engaged in the sex.
The Senate foreign relations committee started its probe into the death of Laude in Olongapo City, with the victim’s transgender friend, Mark Clarence “Barbie” Gelviro, narrating the events on the fateful Saturday night.
“Ang alam po ni Pemberton kami ay mga totoong babae (Pemberton thought we were real women),” Gelviro told the committee chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who later said she considered the evidence against the suspect “damning.”
His face concealed with a purple wrap, Gelviro said Pemberton was the last person seen with Laude before the victim was found dead in the toilet of a motel room.
Forensic experts said Laude suffered severe head injuries and body bruises. The autopsy report said he died of asphyxiation by drowning.
Chief Superintendent Theresa Ann Cid, chief of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, said evidence recovered at the crime scene included strands of hair, two used condoms, blood and urine samples. The PNP is still completing the tests on the evidence.
Told about the condoms, Santiago remarked: “At least we can safely say that the suspect, or what they call in America as a person of interest, ejaculated twice. Would that be correct?”
Cid replied, “Not necessarily, your honor. The first condom has fresh seminal fluid, with fecal material. The second condom seems not to have the presence of semen… Apparently, they were used.”
Chief Inspector Reynaldo Dave, PNP medico-legal officer, said it was safe to say that the condoms were used in anal sex. The police experts, however, said they could not conclude that the semen samples belonged to Pemberton.
“If he was a male, how does he have sex with the Marine?” Santiago asked.
“I just have to corroborate with the findings on condoms and the other pieces of evidence,” Dave replied. “We can safely conclude (anal or rectal sex).”
Santiago said anal sex is “the usual method for transgenders.”
After the hearing, Santiago said the evidence appeared to be “damning” and there was “cruelty” in the killing.
Earlier during the hearing, Laude’s sister Michelle disputed reports that the victim was a sex worker as described by Olongapo police. Michelle said Laude rarely went out of the house.
Asked about the victim’s source of income, Michelle said Laude received a monthly allowance from his German fiancé, Marc Suselbeck.
Gelviro testified that he and Laude met Pemberton at the Ambyanz bar. Gelviro later accompanied the pair to the Celzone Lodge. He stayed with them for about 10 minutes in the rented room before he was told by Pemberton to leave.
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Pemberton did not know Laude was a transgender | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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Jennifer Laude buried in Olongapo City on UN Day
Allan Macatuno |Inquirer Central Luzon4:44 am | Saturday, October 25th, 2014
OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines—Friday was United Nations Day for Olongapo City’s schoolchildren, who poured into the streets wearing costumes, a few bearing the American Stars and Stripes.
Olongapo has always been an American city due to its long association with the former US naval base here, now the site of a sprawling special economic zone called Subic Bay Freeport.
But the bright colors worn by the children masked the sad relevance of Oct. 24 to the family of slain transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude.
Laude was buried on Friday, 13 days after she was found dead in the bathroom of a motel room here after checking in with a US serviceman on the night of Oct. 11.
Much like Laude’s murder investigation, the funeral was fertile ground for criticizing Philippine and American authorities for the treatment of Laude’s suspected killer, US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton.
On Wednesday, Pemberton was flown from his warship, the USS Peleliu, to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, where he would be held during the investigation and trial.
Protest statements were circulated during the almost two-hour necrological service held at the St. Columban Church here.
After the service, Laude’s white coffin was marched around downtown Olongapo before it was taken to Heritage Garden at 4:45 p.m.
Marc Sueselbeck, Laude’s German boyfriend, spent the last hours beside Laude’s coffin.
Sueselbeck is facing deportation for assaulting a Filipino soldier at Camp Aguinaldo while attempting to help Laude’s sister Marilou see Pemberton on Wednesday at Camp Aguinaldo.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Friday that the Bureau of Immigration was waiting for the military to move for Sueselbeck’s deportation but was ready to take action against the German on its own.
De Lima said Sueselbeck had committed a clear offense and showed disrespect for Filipino soldiers.
Sueselbeck said on Thursday that he had apologized to camp officials for his actions.
Undesirable alien
The military said, however, that it wanted Sueselbeck deported and declared an undesirable alien despite his apology.
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said on Friday that Sueselbeck “assaulted not only a Filipino soldier but also the dignity of the country as a whole.”
“I want him to be deported and be declared an undesirable alien,” Catapang said.
Sueselbeck said he was flying back to Germany on Sunday but he would return for Pemberton’s trial.
The German was visibly distraught at Laude’s funeral.
So were Laude’s mother, Julita, and her sisters, Marilou and Michelle. They all broke down as they sprinkled holy water on Laude’s coffin during the service.
“Ganda, we will never forget you. Thank you for the good memories,” Marilo said in her eulogy.
Michelle had a sharper message: “This tragedy is hard to swallow but we need to accept that it happened so we can proceed and fight for justice.”
Many people flocked to the church, most of them friends and relatives of Laude.
Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello attended the service.
Earlier on Friday, Commission on Human Rights Chair Loretta Ann Rosales met with the Laude family and informed them that the agency would conduct an independent investigation of her murder.
Rosales said she was outraged over hate crimes committed against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.
“I support calls for the immediate passage of the antidiscrimination bill, which I first authored in 1998, as well as the legal recognition of hate crimes,” Rosales said.
“All three branches of government must work together to guarantee a national machinery to prevent and prosecute hate crimes,” she said.
Severely beaten
Autopsy reports released last week suggested that Laude may have been severely beaten before she was drowned in the toilet bowl of the motel room.
Laude’s death has brought some changes in the city.
The motel where Laude was found dead has removed its signboard.
In the downtown area, Laude’s death elicited harsh commentaries from pedestrians who assumed the worst about her because of a lingering bias against homosexuals in the city.
The family’s lawyer, Harry Roque, dealt with the bias when he spoke to a crowd outside the church on Friday.
“I hope we all understand what the family is going through,” he said.
“There are many reasons why this happened to Jennifer. One of these reasons is for the public to awaken and fight for our interest so this would not happen to anyone like Jennifer.”
The church service also gave Sueselbeck and Marilou the opportunity to apologize again to the military for their action at Camp Crame on Wednesday.
“We are sorry for what happened. It was not our intention to climb over the fence. We ask for the forgiveness of the soldiers,” Marilou said. With reports from Tarra Quismundo and Julie M. Aurelio in Manila
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Jennifer Laude buried in Olongapo City on UN Day | Inquirer Global Nation
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AFP chief Catapang wants Laude’s German fiance deported
October 24, 2014 8:50pm
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gregorio Catapang wants the German fiancé of slain Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude, Marc Sueselbeck, out of the country.
The statement was relayed by AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc on Friday.
Cabunoc said Catapang wanted Sueselbeck "deported and be declared an undesirable alien."
"He assaulted not only a Filipino soldier but also the dignity of the country as a whole,” Cabunoc added, quoting Catapang.
Sueselbeck on Wednesday forced his way into a restricted area in Camp Aguinaldo, where the American suspect in Laude's killing US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was being detained. He also shoved a Filipino soldier in the process.
Although Sueselbeck has apologized, the military leadership said he had to suffer the consequence of his actions through legal processes.
“It's not about Laude, it's about a foreign national who does not know how to respect Philippine laws. As a visitor of this country he has to obey laws,” Cabunoc said.
He added that tolerating Sueselbeck's stunt would send the wrong signal to other foreigners who do not know how to respect Filipinos.
The spokesperson said the AFP wasn't taking the side of the suspect Pemberton, a participant in a recently concluded joint military exercise between Filipino and US troops in the country.
Pemberton is covered by the Visiting Forces Agreement and is under the custody of the US authorities even if detained in a Philippine facility.
“Of course we are one with the family [of Laude in obtaining justice]. It doesnt mean were trying to neglect concern of the familiy which is to seek justice we also want justice to be served,” he said.
Sueselbeck arrived in the country on Monday to pay his last respects to Laude. Sueselbeck and Laude reportedly met online in 2012.
According to Sueselbeck, he and Laude were supposed to get married next year after he proposed to Laude in December 2013. —Andrei Medina/NB, GMA News
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AFP chief Catapang wants Laude’s German fiance deported | News | GMA News Online
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By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 23, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton did not know Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude was a transgender, a witness told the Senate as it opened its own inquiry yesterday into the Oct. 11 killing.
Evidence recovered at the crime scene also indicated anal sex occurred in the hotel room where Laude was found dead, although it has not yet been determined who engaged in the sex.
The Senate foreign relations committee started its probe into the death of Laude in Olongapo City, with the victim’s transgender friend, Mark Clarence “Barbie” Gelviro, narrating the events on the fateful Saturday night.
“Ang alam po ni Pemberton kami ay mga totoong babae (Pemberton thought we were real women),” Gelviro told the committee chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who later said she considered the evidence against the suspect “damning.”
His face concealed with a purple wrap, Gelviro said Pemberton was the last person seen with Laude before the victim was found dead in the toilet of a motel room.
Forensic experts said Laude suffered severe head injuries and body bruises. The autopsy report said he died of asphyxiation by drowning.
Chief Superintendent Theresa Ann Cid, chief of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, said evidence recovered at the crime scene included strands of hair, two used condoms, blood and urine samples. The PNP is still completing the tests on the evidence.
Told about the condoms, Santiago remarked: “At least we can safely say that the suspect, or what they call in America as a person of interest, ejaculated twice. Would that be correct?”
Cid replied, “Not necessarily, your honor. The first condom has fresh seminal fluid, with fecal material. The second condom seems not to have the presence of semen… Apparently, they were used.”
Chief Inspector Reynaldo Dave, PNP medico-legal officer, said it was safe to say that the condoms were used in anal sex. The police experts, however, said they could not conclude that the semen samples belonged to Pemberton.
“If he was a male, how does he have sex with the Marine?” Santiago asked.
“I just have to corroborate with the findings on condoms and the other pieces of evidence,” Dave replied. “We can safely conclude (anal or rectal sex).”
Santiago said anal sex is “the usual method for transgenders.”
After the hearing, Santiago said the evidence appeared to be “damning” and there was “cruelty” in the killing.
Earlier during the hearing, Laude’s sister Michelle disputed reports that the victim was a sex worker as described by Olongapo police. Michelle said Laude rarely went out of the house.
Asked about the victim’s source of income, Michelle said Laude received a monthly allowance from his German fiancé, Marc Suselbeck.
Gelviro testified that he and Laude met Pemberton at the Ambyanz bar. Gelviro later accompanied the pair to the Celzone Lodge. He stayed with them for about 10 minutes in the rented room before he was told by Pemberton to leave.
------
Pemberton did not know Laude was a transgender | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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Jennifer Laude buried in Olongapo City on UN Day
Allan Macatuno |Inquirer Central Luzon4:44 am | Saturday, October 25th, 2014
OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines—Friday was United Nations Day for Olongapo City’s schoolchildren, who poured into the streets wearing costumes, a few bearing the American Stars and Stripes.
Olongapo has always been an American city due to its long association with the former US naval base here, now the site of a sprawling special economic zone called Subic Bay Freeport.
But the bright colors worn by the children masked the sad relevance of Oct. 24 to the family of slain transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude.
Laude was buried on Friday, 13 days after she was found dead in the bathroom of a motel room here after checking in with a US serviceman on the night of Oct. 11.
Much like Laude’s murder investigation, the funeral was fertile ground for criticizing Philippine and American authorities for the treatment of Laude’s suspected killer, US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton.
On Wednesday, Pemberton was flown from his warship, the USS Peleliu, to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, where he would be held during the investigation and trial.
Protest statements were circulated during the almost two-hour necrological service held at the St. Columban Church here.
After the service, Laude’s white coffin was marched around downtown Olongapo before it was taken to Heritage Garden at 4:45 p.m.
Marc Sueselbeck, Laude’s German boyfriend, spent the last hours beside Laude’s coffin.
Sueselbeck is facing deportation for assaulting a Filipino soldier at Camp Aguinaldo while attempting to help Laude’s sister Marilou see Pemberton on Wednesday at Camp Aguinaldo.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Friday that the Bureau of Immigration was waiting for the military to move for Sueselbeck’s deportation but was ready to take action against the German on its own.
De Lima said Sueselbeck had committed a clear offense and showed disrespect for Filipino soldiers.
Sueselbeck said on Thursday that he had apologized to camp officials for his actions.
Undesirable alien
The military said, however, that it wanted Sueselbeck deported and declared an undesirable alien despite his apology.
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said on Friday that Sueselbeck “assaulted not only a Filipino soldier but also the dignity of the country as a whole.”
“I want him to be deported and be declared an undesirable alien,” Catapang said.
Sueselbeck said he was flying back to Germany on Sunday but he would return for Pemberton’s trial.
The German was visibly distraught at Laude’s funeral.
So were Laude’s mother, Julita, and her sisters, Marilou and Michelle. They all broke down as they sprinkled holy water on Laude’s coffin during the service.
“Ganda, we will never forget you. Thank you for the good memories,” Marilo said in her eulogy.
Michelle had a sharper message: “This tragedy is hard to swallow but we need to accept that it happened so we can proceed and fight for justice.”
Many people flocked to the church, most of them friends and relatives of Laude.
Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello attended the service.
Earlier on Friday, Commission on Human Rights Chair Loretta Ann Rosales met with the Laude family and informed them that the agency would conduct an independent investigation of her murder.
Rosales said she was outraged over hate crimes committed against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.
“I support calls for the immediate passage of the antidiscrimination bill, which I first authored in 1998, as well as the legal recognition of hate crimes,” Rosales said.
“All three branches of government must work together to guarantee a national machinery to prevent and prosecute hate crimes,” she said.
Severely beaten
Autopsy reports released last week suggested that Laude may have been severely beaten before she was drowned in the toilet bowl of the motel room.
Laude’s death has brought some changes in the city.
The motel where Laude was found dead has removed its signboard.
In the downtown area, Laude’s death elicited harsh commentaries from pedestrians who assumed the worst about her because of a lingering bias against homosexuals in the city.
The family’s lawyer, Harry Roque, dealt with the bias when he spoke to a crowd outside the church on Friday.
“I hope we all understand what the family is going through,” he said.
“There are many reasons why this happened to Jennifer. One of these reasons is for the public to awaken and fight for our interest so this would not happen to anyone like Jennifer.”
The church service also gave Sueselbeck and Marilou the opportunity to apologize again to the military for their action at Camp Crame on Wednesday.
“We are sorry for what happened. It was not our intention to climb over the fence. We ask for the forgiveness of the soldiers,” Marilou said. With reports from Tarra Quismundo and Julie M. Aurelio in Manila
------
Jennifer Laude buried in Olongapo City on UN Day | Inquirer Global Nation
------
------
AFP chief Catapang wants Laude’s German fiance deported
October 24, 2014 8:50pm
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gregorio Catapang wants the German fiancé of slain Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude, Marc Sueselbeck, out of the country.
The statement was relayed by AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc on Friday.
Cabunoc said Catapang wanted Sueselbeck "deported and be declared an undesirable alien."
"He assaulted not only a Filipino soldier but also the dignity of the country as a whole,” Cabunoc added, quoting Catapang.
Sueselbeck on Wednesday forced his way into a restricted area in Camp Aguinaldo, where the American suspect in Laude's killing US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was being detained. He also shoved a Filipino soldier in the process.
Although Sueselbeck has apologized, the military leadership said he had to suffer the consequence of his actions through legal processes.
“It's not about Laude, it's about a foreign national who does not know how to respect Philippine laws. As a visitor of this country he has to obey laws,” Cabunoc said.
He added that tolerating Sueselbeck's stunt would send the wrong signal to other foreigners who do not know how to respect Filipinos.
The spokesperson said the AFP wasn't taking the side of the suspect Pemberton, a participant in a recently concluded joint military exercise between Filipino and US troops in the country.
Pemberton is covered by the Visiting Forces Agreement and is under the custody of the US authorities even if detained in a Philippine facility.
“Of course we are one with the family [of Laude in obtaining justice]. It doesnt mean were trying to neglect concern of the familiy which is to seek justice we also want justice to be served,” he said.
Sueselbeck arrived in the country on Monday to pay his last respects to Laude. Sueselbeck and Laude reportedly met online in 2012.
According to Sueselbeck, he and Laude were supposed to get married next year after he proposed to Laude in December 2013. —Andrei Medina/NB, GMA News
------
AFP chief Catapang wants Laude’s German fiance deported | News | GMA News Online
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Zero_wing
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- May 3, 2012
- Messages
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A person who use a false flag should not be saying crap about truth its funny coming from a 50cent troll
WuMaoCleverbot
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Prosecutors push murder case vs Pemberton
By Camille Diola (philstar.com) | Updated December 15, 2014 - 3:43pm
MANILA, Philippines — A government prosecutor on Monday announced that US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton has been charged with murder for the alleged killing of a Filipino transgender.
In a resolution issued on Monday, Olongapo City Prosecutor Emily de los Santos said there is "probable cause" in the murder case filed against Pemberton in connection with the killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude.
Laude's lifeless body was found inside a motel room in Olongapo City last October. The victim, whose last seen companion was Pemberton, had apparently been drowned in a toilet bowl.
De los Santos said that the qualifying circumstances were treachery, abuse of superior strength and cruelty that called for a murder case, instead of a homicide charge.
"As a prosecutor, going through the evidence, we believe we have a strong case [against Pemberton]," De los Santos said in a television interview.
The case has been raffled to the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74.
The emotional case reignited a debate over custody of American military personnel accused of crimes under the Philippines-US Visiting Forces Agreement.
Lawyer Harry Roque, lead counsel of the Laude family, considered the indictment a victory for the victim's cause.
The looming irritant between the treaty allies over Pemberton's custody eased down after Washington agreed to move him from a US warship to the Armed Forces of the Philippines camp, where he remained under American custody with an outer ring of Filipino guards. - with Associated Press
Prosecutors push murder case vs Pemberton | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
By Camille Diola (philstar.com) | Updated December 15, 2014 - 3:43pm
MANILA, Philippines — A government prosecutor on Monday announced that US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton has been charged with murder for the alleged killing of a Filipino transgender.
In a resolution issued on Monday, Olongapo City Prosecutor Emily de los Santos said there is "probable cause" in the murder case filed against Pemberton in connection with the killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude.
Laude's lifeless body was found inside a motel room in Olongapo City last October. The victim, whose last seen companion was Pemberton, had apparently been drowned in a toilet bowl.
De los Santos said that the qualifying circumstances were treachery, abuse of superior strength and cruelty that called for a murder case, instead of a homicide charge.
"As a prosecutor, going through the evidence, we believe we have a strong case [against Pemberton]," De los Santos said in a television interview.
The case has been raffled to the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74.
The emotional case reignited a debate over custody of American military personnel accused of crimes under the Philippines-US Visiting Forces Agreement.
Lawyer Harry Roque, lead counsel of the Laude family, considered the indictment a victory for the victim's cause.
The looming irritant between the treaty allies over Pemberton's custody eased down after Washington agreed to move him from a US warship to the Armed Forces of the Philippines camp, where he remained under American custody with an outer ring of Filipino guards. - with Associated Press
Prosecutors push murder case vs Pemberton | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
Zero_wing
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Wow this from a maoist 50cent trooper calling the kettle black
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