CHR expresses 'utter disappointment' on Duterte's full pardon for Pemberton
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has expressed "utter disappointment" over President Duterte’s grant of a full pardon to US Marine PFC Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was found guilty of killing transgender Jennifer Laude back in 2014. As the country's Gender Ombudsman, the CHR is continuously promoting the rights of women and children, as well as the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) community. While President Duterte has the power to grant pardon to Pemberton, the CHR said there is still an obligation for him to wield the power with "prudence and sensitivity" to the plight of the victims. CHR Spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia said that the killings of transgender persons continue to rise worldwide. Even in the Philippines, LGBTQI members continue to face all forms of violence and harassment. Even if there are protections set in place by law, she lamented that these are scant. When President Duterte pardoned Pemberton, the CHR said there was a "double standard" and the LGBTQI community once again experienced lack of fairness and absence of empathy. "Pemberton committed one of the most brutal crimes against a transwoman in the country. Granting a presidential pardon to such a felon is an affront to the LGBTQI community. It is an affront to the Laude family," de Guia said. Despite this development, the CHR continues to urge the government and its people to respect and protect the rights of LGBTQI community, especially those who continue to face abuse, discrimination, and indignities just because of their Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC).