Miriam wants Pemberton transferred to regular jail

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Wednesday said that US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, the suspect in the killing of a Filipino transgender, should be transferred to a regular jail.

“As we know, normally any person who has been formally accused in court goes to city jail. So he should go there,” Santiago said in an interview after presiding over a hearing of the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Following the court's issuance of warrant of arrest against the US serviceman for the case of murder in connection with the killing of transgender Jennifer Laude last October in Olongapo City, Santiago said she does not want to see any foreigner charged with a crime in the Philippines be given preferential treatment to a Filipino who is in the same situation.

“Whatever is normal procedure for the Filipinos should be taken as the normal measure as well otherwise we will be giving undue discrimination in favor of a foreign national to our own country,” she said.

“We don’t want that to happen. So, all the Philippines that is asking for is that with respect to what need to be done with Pemberton should be pursuant to the steps that would be done with a Filipino in his situation,” Santiago added.

Santiago is the chairperson of the Senate foreign relations committee, which recently conducted hearings on calls to review and abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement between the United States and the Philippines.

Santiago, however, recognized that the issue of Pemberton’s detention can be subject to results of negotiation between the two countries. Santiago batted for transparency and that the Filipino people should not be left uninformed of the developments in the Pemberton case.

The senator noted that in the case of US Marine soldier Cpl. Daniel Smith, the negotiations for custody and the subsequent out of court settlement were done under a shroud of mystery.

In the Pemberton case, Santiago said the US should have good faith in all stages of the proceedings.

“Well, that (place of detention) can be subject of negotiation as it always has been. The thing is we do not want any negotiation in bad faith,” she said.

“Remember, that other serviceman who was causing a furor nationally because of a similar case and all of a sudden nobody had advanced knowledge. He just flew on the plane and was no longer present on our jurisdiction and the alleged victim herself was granted a visa, so she also flew to the United States.  That for me was proof of bad faith from the US because everything was done subjudice. I mean, everything was done in silence,” Santiago said.

“So if there is any arrangement to be made, it should be made transparently and the results must be made known to the public as soon as possible.