US marine convicted of killing transgender woman deported from Philippines

A United
States marine was on Sunday deported from the Philippines following his conviction
in the killing of a transgender woman in 2014, after President Rodrigo Duterte had
earlier granted him an absolute pardon.

Bureau of Immigration
(BI) spokeswoman Dana Sandoval confirmed Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton departed
aboard an American military aircraft bound for the United States from Manila’s international
airport at 9:14 am local time, Al Jazeera reported.

Also Read: Philippines delays release of US marine in transgender killing

Sandoval
told state television PTV-4 that representaqtives from the US Embassy
accompanied Pemberton on his way to the airport.

In a
statement, BI commissioner Jaime Morente said, “As a consequence of the
deportation order against him, Pemberton has been placed on the Bureau’s
blacklist, perpetually banning him from coming back.”

Comdemning
the government’s decision to release Pemberton, Renato Reyes, the leader of the
activist group opposing his release, said that the Philippines is “at the
losing end again”.

“We must
ensure that there would be no more Pembertons in our land, no more crimes
against Filipinos,” Reyes said.

Pemberton
was found guilty of killing Jennifer Laude in a hotel in Olongapo, outside a
former US Navy base northwest of capital Manila in 2014, with the case sparking
debate over the US’ military presence in the country.

Also Read: Philippines court orders US marine, who killed a transgender woman, to be freed

Activists condemned
Duterte’s decision to pardon Pemberton, calling it a “mockery of justice”.

Presidential
spokesperson Harry Roque, who served as a lawyer in Pemberton’s prosecution,
said Duterte’s desire to obtain coronavirus vaccines from US firms may have
influenced his decision to pardon Pemberton.

The Philippines
health ministry, however, said there were no conditions attached by any of the
US firms it was in talks with.