Hindi pa maaaring palayain ng Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) si United States Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton na nakakulong dahil sa pagpaslang sa transgender na si Jennifer Laude noong 2014.

Ito ang reaksyon kahapon ni Department of Justice (DOJ)

Undersecretary Markk Perete.

Idinahilan ni Perete ang isinampang motion for reconsideration ng pamilya ni Laude na na humihiling na baligtarin ang kautusan ng Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 74 na palayain na si Pemberton.

“The MR would have to be resolved first. The BuCor cannot preempt court action on the MR by prematurely releasing Pemberton,” aniya.

Nitong nakaraang Miyerkules, inihain ng abogado ng pamilya Laude ang nasabing mosyon na nananawagan sa korte na ibasura ang kanilang naunang kautusan at maglabas ng panibagong kautusan na tumatangging palayain si Pemberton.

“Good conduct allowance is not a matter of right. It is a privilege subject to the presentation of proof and recommendation of actual ‘good conduct’. Otherwise, this is subject to abuse and can be circumvented easily. If this is so, this is clearly an injustice,” ayon sa abogado ng pamilya Laude.

Binabanggit ng abogado ang nakapaloob sa 2017 Uniform Manual on Time Allowances and Service of Sentence kung saan ang tinutukoy na ‘good conduct’ ay ang hindi paglabag sa prison rules at aktibong pakikilahok sa mga rehabilitation program, produktibng pakikilahok sa “unauthorized work activities or accomplishment of exemplary deeds coupled with faithful obedience to all prison rules and regulations.”

“Significantly, in the case of Pemberton, there is no showing that he has any active involvement in rehabilitation programs or has participated in any authorized work activities or has accomplished any exemplary deed. No good conduct can be attributed to him. Hence, no good conduct time allowance should be granted to him,” paliwanag pa ng abogado.

Kaugnay nito, hindi rin kuwalipikado si Pemberton sa Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law na nagpapahintulot na makalaya ang mga nahatulang makulong sa iba’t ibang krimen.

Ito ang pagtutol kahapon ni Atty. Rommel Bagares, ang isa abogado ng pamilya ng napatay na transgender na si Jennifer Laude.

“We disagree with that conclusion by the court. We don’t think that he could actually avail of the benefits of this rule,” aniya.

Inilabas ni Bagares ang reaksyon kasunod na rin ng kautusan ng nasabing hukuman na may petsang Setyembre 1 na nagsasabing pasok na sa GCTA ang ipinamalas na mabuting pagkatao ni Pemberton sa loob ng piitan.

Ikinokonsidera na rin ng hukuman na naisilbi na ni Pemberton ang sentensiya nitong mula anim hanggang 10 taong pagkakapiit.

Noong 2015, ikinulong si Pemberton sa Camp Aguinaldo matapos na hatulan ng hukuman sa kasong homicide dahil sa pagpaslang kay Laude noong 2015.

Sinabi ni Bagares na naglabas na ang Korte Suprema ng desisyon sa usapin sa Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), partikular na ang 2009 ruling hinggil sa kasong panggagahasa sa Subic at ang kaso ni Laude.

“The court said here that we cannot raise the argument of equal protection because they said that to begin with there is really no equal treatment given to someone who is convicted or who is being prosecuted under the VFA because it is treated in a separate manner,” katwiran ng abogado.

“The GCTA should not have been applied to him for that reason in the absence of a definite agreement that would cover him. The agreement here only was signed with respect to where he would be detained and where he would be spending or serving sentence,” ayon kay Bagares.

Inihayag ni Bagares, nakagawa ng kasalanan si Pemberton at ito ay kabilang sa heinous crime.

“This was a hate crime without any question. He should not qualify under the GCTA rules because heinous crimes are not covered by the rules,” paglilinaw pa ni Bagares.

Kaugnay nito, nananatili pa rin sa custodial facility ng Armed Forces of the Philippnies (AFP) sa Camp Aguinaldo sa Quezon City si Pemberton.

Ito ang kinumpirma ni AFP Spokesman M/Gen. Edgard Arevalo, matapos sabihing wala pa silang tinatanggap na kopya ng release order mula sa Olongapo City RTC.

Aniya, ipiniit lamang si Pemberton sa kanilang hurisdiksyon sa bisa ng memoramdum of agreement sa pagitan ng AFP at ng Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Sa nasabing kasunduan, maglalaan ang AFP ng detention facility gayunman, pangangasiwaan pa rin ito ng BuCor.

-Jeffrey Damicog at Beth Camia