MANILA, Philippines - The court on Thursday approved the petition of the suspect in the killing of Filipino transgender Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude, to suspend the proceedings of the murder case.
The Olongapo Regional Trial Court approved the United States Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton's request in relation to the petition filed with the Department of Justice to review the case.
"If you are not satisfied with the ruling of the lower prosecution office, a party can always go up to the Secretary of Justice to review the resolution of the lower prosecution. That is the right of the accused. The secretary or even the office of the DOJ has not yet even received a copy of the petition for review because they sent it through mail." Olongapo City Prosecutor Emilie delos Santos said in an interview aired on television.
Pemberton's lawyers earlier submitted a petition to downgrade the case from murder to homicide as the evidences were "based on nothing but conjectures and speculations."
READ: Pemberton asks DOJ to downgrade charge to homicide
The evidence presented was not enough to charge Pemberton with murder, the suspect's lawyers argued.
However, the Laude family's request to transfer Pemberton to an Olongapo jail and the request for live media coverage of the proceedings were denied.
The prosecution panel insisted that Pemberton should not receive special treatment while in detention.
RELATED: Laude relatives see Pemberton for first time