The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday night expressed readiness to help the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in facilitating the release of US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, the convicted killer of Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014.
However, Major General Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said the military has yet to receive the release order of Pemberton which was issued by the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court. Pemberton is currently detained at the AFP Custodial Center in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
"We learned about the release order for USMC (US Marine Corps) Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton from media reports. But we have not received a copy of such release order yet," Arevalo said.
Arevalo clarified that it is the BuCor that should comply to the court order and not the AFP since the former is responsible for the management and administration of Pemberton.
He explained that Pemberton is only detained at the AFP Custodial Facility by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the AFP and BuCor.
"The MOA provides that the former will make available the detention facility while the latter retains the management and administration of the convicted detainee," Arevalo said.
"We will assist BuCor in facilitating the release of Pemberton by virtue of such court order," he vowed.
In an order dated September 1, 2020, Olongapo RTC Presiding Judge Roline M. Ginez-Jabalde ordered the BuCor to release Pemberton from jail.
According to reports, Pemberton met Laude at a disco bar in Olongapo City on Oct. 11, 2014. Oblivious that Laude was a transwoman, Pemberton reportedly invited the victim to a motel.
Pemberton, who was in the country at the time to participate in a military exercise, left the motel shortly after they arrived. Eventually, the motel staff discovered Laude's lifeless body inside the room's toilet room.
In 2015, Pemberton was convicted for the murder of Laude. He was sentenced to imprisonment of from six to 10 years.
The Olongapo RTC said Pemberton has already served 2,142 days or over five years and eight months in prison while he was credited 1,548 days or over four years for his good conduct time allowance (GCTA).
It yielded an accumulated prison term of 10 years, one month, and 10 days, according to the court.