BI personnel to take over custody of Pemberton on Friday morning — Guevarra

MANILA, Philippines — U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton will be transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday morning (Sept. 11) Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

The Bureau of Corrections has earlier signed the release order for Pemberton after it received the document for the pardon granted to him by President Rodrigo Duterte over the death of transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014.

“Nagpadala na ang BuCor sa Bureau of Immigration ng copy ng release order, so ngayong umaga ay inaasahan na itatransfer na ang custody over the person ni Mr. Pemberton from the BuCor to the Bureau of Immigration, para maipatupad naman ng Bureau of Immigration ang deportation order,” Guevarra told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(BuCor has sent to BI a copy of the release order so this morning, the custody over Pemberton is expected to be transferred from BuCor to BI so the Immigration can implement the deportation order.)

Guevarra said BI personnel will be the ones to go to the JUSMAG (Joint US Military Assistance Group) facility in Camp Aguinaldo where Pemberton is being detained.

“Doon pupunta ang mga taga-Bureau of Immigration para sila ang mag take over sa custody over the person ni Mr. Pemberton at mag-eexit naman ang mga tauhan ng BuCor kasi tapos na sila sa pagbabantay,” he explained.

(Immigration personnel will go there to take over the custody of Pemberton from BuCor as the job of BuCor guards for Pemberton is over.)

In a later text message to INQUIRER.net, BI acting spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said Pemberton was turned over to immigration personnel at 11:52 a.m. He said the bureau’s legal division will then start the process to implement his deportation order.

According to Guevarra, Pemberton will remain at the military camp while waiting for clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and flight arrangements from the United States Embassy in Manila.

Once his NBI clearance is released and his flight arrangement is completed, he can then be transferred from the detention facility to the airport.

Guevarra said the NBI is expected to release a clearance for Pemberton this Friday, adding Pemberton did not commit any other crime in the Philippines based on his knowledge.

Once he exits the departure gate of the airport, authorities from the US Embassy will then take over his custody, according to the Justice Secretary.

Pemberton was convicted for homicide in 2015 for the killing of Laude and was sentenced to imprisonment from six to 10 years. However, the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 recently granted his early release, saying he had already served the 10-year maximum of his penalty after taking into account the good conduct time allowances he accumulated while in detention.

But amid a motion for reconsideration filed by the Laude family to stop the release of Pemberton, Duterte granted him pardon, saying the Philippines “did not treat him fairly” over its supposed failure to accurately compute his good conduct credits.

/MUF