MANILA, Philippines - The family of the slain Filipino transgender Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude will file a formal complaint against suspect American Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton as an "undesirable alien."
Harry Roque, lead counsel of the Laude family in the murder case, announced Tuesday that Pemberton should be made to suffer the same humiliation as the victims' loved ones.
Roque said that Laude's fiancé, German national Marc Sueselbeck, was also repeatedly humiliated for a small mistake of shoving a soldier at Camp Aguinaldo.
Sueselbeck was prevented from his scheduled flight to Germany over the weekend and was charged with arrogance and gross disrespect for his behavior at the military headquarters where Pemberton is held under United States custody.
"We have to make the [Philippine government] explain why they cannot afford equal protection to these two foreigners," Roque said.
He decried the lack of fairness in the treatment of Sueselbeck and Pemberton, even as the latter is a "suspected murderer."
"A killer cannot even be made to appear before the court," Roque said, referring to the Marine's absence before the Olongapo City prosecutors for the preliminary investigation on Monday.
He said he is sensing the lack of logic in blocking Sueselbeck's departure and plans to have him forcibly removed from the country.
"I really find this ludicrous, that a person who was originally scheduled to leave the country was stopped so he could be forcibly removed from the country," he said.
Suselbeck, meanwhile, said he has apologized and done everything he could to amend his "two seconds of stupidity."
He also wants to return to the Philippines to visit Laude's grave and mourn anew with the family.