NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

INTERACTIVE ELECTION MAPS

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Subscribe
Follow us Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
For latest updates on nCOVID-19 around the world visit our INTERACTIVE COVID MAP
International

Duterte’s Pardon for US Marine Who Murdered Trans Woman Sparks Outrage in Philippines

Opposition parties and human rights groups such as Karapatan have accused president Rodrigo Duterte of giving in to US interests and have condemned the different standards applied to US personnel.
Peoples Dispatch
09 Sep 2020
Justice for Jennifer Laude

(Photo: APWLD)

A United States marine convicted for the murder of a trans-woman received a pardon from Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte on September 7, Monday, ending his prison sentence. The pardon was granted to Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was serving a prison sentence of 10 years for the murder of Jennifer Laude in 2014. The decision to commute Pemberton’s sentence has provoked strong criticism from the opposition, who has accused the preisndet of giving in to US interests.

Pemberton was sentenced to a term in jail of up to six to 12 years after a local court held him guilty of a lesser charge of homicide in December 2015. His maximum sentence was reduced to 10 years by an appeals court in 2016. In all this while, Pemberton was never jailed but only put in confinement at a custodial center of the Philippines Armed Forces’ headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Laude’s murder had provoked major protests from trans-rights activists and left-wing groups across the Philippines, and was condemned as a transphobic attack. Activists have criticized the courts for not deeming the murder as transphobic, despite evidence that Pemberton’s actions was provoked by his realization that Laude was a transgender person.

The treatment of Pemberton by successive governments and the courts has also been a major point of contention as he was put up in a restricted facility at the behest of the US. Opposition groups and the underground Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) have criticized the US administration for not relinquishing Pemberton’s custody.

Opposition leaders have pointed out that the US military personnel posted in the Philippines often receive privileged treatment when they break local laws. The murder committed by Pemberton and the subsequent trials also provoked scrutiny of the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two nations, which gives special protections to US soldiers in the Philippines.

After passing the pardon, Duterte defended his decision in a televised address, saying that his critics “have not treated Pemberton fairly.” Senator Risa Hontiveros called out the president’s hypocrisy by saying that Duterte’s administration has instituted far harsher punishments for Filipinos charged with lesser crimes, while US soldiers are accorded the benefit of doubt.

“While Filipinos who are convicted even of lesser crimes are never accorded such a privilege, an American who brutally killed a Filipina is allowed to walk free by the President himself,” Hontiveros said. Human rights group Karapatan also released a statement calling the pardon a “despicable and shameless mockery of justice and servility to U.S. imperialist interests.”

The Laude family condemned the pardon through their legal representative Virginia Lacsa Suarez. “This is another injustice not only to Jennifer Laude and family but a grave injustice to the Filipino people,” Suarez said in a statement. She added that the pardon is “another hallmark of Philippine’s subservience to the US.” Meanwhile, protests erupted over Twitter as the hashtag #JusticeForJenniferLaude became a top trend in the Philippines and globally.

This article was first published in Peoples Dispatch.

Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
Jennifer Laude
Joseph Scott Pemberton
Karapatan
Risa Hontiveros
Rodrigo Duterte
Transgender rights
Transphobic crimes
US soldiers in the Philippines
Visiting Forces Agreement
Related Stories
Protesters March in Manila Against New Anti-terror Law, Pandemic Mismanagement

Protesters March in Manila Against New Anti-terror Law, Pandemic Mismanagement

Anti-Terror Law in the Philippines

Activists and Citizens Rally Against new Anti-Terror Law in the Philippines

Maria Ressa addressing the press outside the courtroom, after the conviction. Photo: Rappler

Journalist Maria Ressa Convicted of Libel, Blow to Press Freedom in Philippines

Defiant Voices Combat Militarisation

Defiant Voices Combat Militarisation and State Repression Worldwide

Masses of people gathered for the encounter.

Over 500,000 Women, Queers and Gender Dissidents Participated in Historic Encounter

Yet Another Activist Murdered as Violence and Repression

Yet Another Activist Murdered as Violence and Repression Continues Unabated in Negros

Participants in the pride march in Toronto with 'Fight for 15' placards.

Radical and Political: LGBTQ Prides Across Americas in Pride Month

Duterte's PDP - Laban is slated to win the most number of seats in the House of Representatives.

Duterte’s PDP-Laban Emerges Largest in the House, while the Right Makes Major Gains

global waste trade

The Global Waste Trade

Drug War Philippines

Duterte’s Exit from ICC a Bid to Escape Probe on Drug War?

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share

Related Stories

Peoples Dispatch

ICC’s Report on the Philippines Alleges Crimes Against Humanity Committed by Duterte Regime

17 December 2020
The prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has found “reasonable basis to believe” that crimes against humanity have been co
Peoples Dispatch

What is RCEP and why are Trade Unions in the Asia-Pacific Region Concerned About It?

16 November 2020
15 countries in the Asia-Pacific signed into effect the world’s biggest trading bloc, on Sunday, November 15.
Peoples Dispatch

Social Activist and Rights Advocate Zara Alvarez Murdered in the Philippines

19 August 2020
Filipina social activist and rights advocate Zara Alvarez was killed on Monday, August 17, by unidentified gunmen in Bacolod City in the island of

Pagination

  • Next page ››

More

  • construction workers

    West Bengal: Cess Fund Allegedly Going to Govt Treasury, Construction Workers Denied Benefit

  • SC verdict on Aadhaar

    SC Rejects Pleas Seeking Review of 2018 Aadhaar Verdict

  • paranjoy.

    Delhi Union of Journalists Condemns Arrest Warrant Against Paranjoy Guha Thakurta

  • Trans Rights

    With a Step Towards Inclusivity, Kerala includes 'Transgender' Option in Application Forms

  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with
about