Duterte grants absolute pardon to US Marine: Locsin

September 7, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday granted absolute pardon to US Marine Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton who was convicted of killing a transgender Filipino woman in 2014, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said.

"Cutting matters short over what constitutes time served, and since where he was detained was not in the prisoner’s control—and to do justice—the President has granted an absolute pardon to Pemberton. Here at the Palace," Locsin said on Twitter.

This came as the Olongapo Regional Trial Court on Monday ordered the Bureau of Corrections to submit a manifestation stating on whether Pemberton is entitled to good conduct time allowances.

Despite having served just over five years out of a six-to-10-year prison term, the Olongapo court ordered Pemberton released last week on ground he had exceeded his sentence when his accumulated good conduct time allowance is counted on top of his actual time served.

The court order was appealed by Laude's family. DMS