BI working on Pemberton's ‘deportation’

MANILA, Philippines — After completing some “logistical preparations,” pardoned homicide convict US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton may be out of the country in a day or two, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“BI agents are conducting a coordination meeting now in Camp Aguinaldo to discuss logistical preparations for Pemberton’s deportation … hoping (it gets implemented) in one to two days,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.

Pemberton, convicted in 2015 of homicide for killing Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude, is now in BI custody after being turned over by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) last Friday. He remains in his detention facility at Camp Aguinaldo.

BuCor said yesterday Pemberton underwent COVID-19 swab test and turned out negative.

President Duterte granted Pemberton absolute pardon last week or days after he was ordered released by an Olongapo City court for good behavior under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law. He had served almost six years of his maximum 10-year sentence.

“Required documents have already been submitted, but his final flight details and preparations for implementation have yet to be discussed,” she added.

The BI previously said that Pemberton’s flight details are required for his deportation as an “undesirable alien” to ensure that he would be physically out of the country. He would be considered blacklisted after his deportation.

Justice undersecretary and spokesman Markk Perete explained that “a person blacklisted on the basis of moral turpitude may apply to lift the order of blacklisting 10 years after its implementation.”

The deportation order on Pemberton “is based on a finding of undesirability on account of the commission of a crime involving moral turpitude,” Perete added.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had initially ordered BuCor to stop the early release of Pemberton due to pending motion for reconsideration (MR) filed by the family of Laude on the court’s release order. The DOJ also later filed its own MR.

The two MRs became moot and academic after Duterte granted absolute pardon to Laude’s killer.

“Jennifer’s life was trashed twice – first by Pemberton, second by this administration,” Laude family lawyer Virginia Suarez said in a text message.

Suarez added that Pemberton has yet to fulfill his promise to apologize to the family of Laude. – Ralph Edwin Villanueva