A U.S. Marine convicted of killing Jennifer Laude, a transgender woman in the Philippines, in 2014 has been given a full pardon by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, his presidential spokesman said.
The pardon on Monday drew widespread criticism from human rights groups from the former American colony, who described the surprise move as an insult to Philippine justice.
Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, then 20, was imprisoned in 2015 for the death of 26-year old Laude. Pemberton was given a jail sentence of up to 12 years, which was later cut to 10 years.
Judges of a regional trial court signed off on Pemberton's early liberty appeal last week for good behavior, but a plea from Laude's legal counsels stopped the release.
Duterte said his decision to pardon Pemberton was due in part to the unfair treatment being accorded to the soldier after opponents blocked his early freedom for good conduct while in prison.
"You haven't treated Pemberton fairly. So I will release him through pardon," Duterte said after a meeting with his cabinet, which included the justice secretary.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Pemberton's pardon does not signify his sentence has been totally expunged. "But what it means is Pemberton is now free," Roque said, who added there's no more doubt if the marine officer is eligible to any privileges for good behavior, Barnaby Lo of CBS News quoted the spokesman as saying in his report.
Roque, who once served as an attorney for the Laude family, pointed out that the presidential clemency would mean Pemberton's immediate release from detention.
One of Laude's legal counsels was disappointed by the absolution and questioned the president's commitment to a foreign policy that he claims is autonomous and not controlled by American interests. Karapatan, a human rights organization in the Philippines, described Dutere's foreign policy as "bankrupt."
The homicide took place just six months after Washington and Manila sealed a military accord that allows the rotational presence of additional U.S. soldiers on Philippine soil.
Political analysts said Duterte's decision could help patch up ties with the U.S. after years in which the Filipino commander in chief has been leaning toward China, despite its aggressive moves in the South China Sea, where the two nations have competing territorial claims.
