Labis na ikinadismaya ng kampo ng mga Laude ang pagkakaloob ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ng absolute pardon kay US Marine na si Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton.
Ang Amerikanong sundalo ay umamin mismo na pumatay sa transgender woman na si Jeffrey alyas Jennifer Laude noong taong 2014.
Sa panayam ng Bombo Radyo Philippines kay Atty. Virgie Suarez, sinabi nito na nakakabigla ang desisyon ng Pangulong Duterte lalo na’t mayroon nang motion for reconsideration (MR) na inaaksiyunan ang Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 74.
Nitong nakalipas na Lunes nang ipag-utos na ng korte ang recomputation ng Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) sa good conduct time allowance (GCTA) credits ni Pemberton.
Aniya, dahil sa desisyon ng Pangulong Duterte ay mawawalan na ng saysay ang lahat ng kanilang mosyon maging ang planong paghahain ng mosyon ng Department of Justice (DoJ) at Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
Pero puwede pa naman umano silang umapela sa Pangulo kaugnay sa desisyon nitong bigyan ng absolute pardon si Pemberton.
“THIS IS REVOLTING! On behalf of the Laude Family and the entire membership of KILUSAN and KAISA KA, we strongly denounce the ABSOLUTE PARDON given by Duterte. This is another injustice not only to Jennifer Laude and family but a grave injustixe to the Filipino people. This is a travesty of Phil Sovereignty and democracy,” ani Atty Suarez. “This is another hallmark of Philippine’s subservience to the US. There are too many Filipino convicts, already in their twilight years serving their sentence, why give it to a foreigner, a US soldier who committed an atrocious crime? Pemberton killing Laude reflects the systematic discrimination and violence inflicted by US to Filipino women, children and the LGBTQ community. There is so much disrespect in the manner by which Jennifer was killed— reflective of the disrespect US has for the Philippines’ democracy and sovereignty. The PARDON given to Pemberton is a mockery of our judiciary and legal system, too.”
