BREAK: No plea bargain deal, says Laude family lawyer
MANILA, Philippines — There is no plea bargain with US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, alleged killer of Filipino transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, the lawyer of the victims’ family said Monday morning.
Lawyer Harry Roque, private prosecutor for the Laude family, told radio dzMM that the victim’s kin already rejected a reported P21-million plea bargain deal which would lower the culpability of Pemberton.
READ: Pre-Pemberton trial: Lawyers tussle
Roque said only the public prosecutors were pushing for a deal, which, he added, was aimed at freeing the government from prosecuting the US soldier for murder.
Subsequently, Roque said the family of Laude would ask Justice Secretary Leila de Lima later on Monday to replace prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos, whom he said had been trying to exclude private prosecutors from pushing the criminal aspect of the case.
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