Duterte wants to be “fair” with Pemberton for granting him pardon

September 8, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that he wanted to be "fair" to US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton for granting him absolute pardon.

In a taped televised message, Duterte said there was a presumption that Pemberton did not do anything bad during this entire six years in prison, including when he was still being tried for killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014, as there were no reports made to the Secretary of Justice nor with the Philippine National Police.

"I'm not favoring anybody, neither Pemberton nor the family," he said.

But Duterte said he has to consider the good behavior of the US serviceman while he was serving his sentence.

"It's my decision to pardon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I see the case. You have not treated Pemberton fairly, so I will release. Pardon," he said.

Duterte said his decision to grant pardon to Pemberton cannot be questioned anywhere.

"And it's not because that that I pardoned Pemberton. It's my happiness to send insane, fools (to jail). But you know if there is a time where you called upon to be fair, be fair, be fair," he said.

But Duterte, who declared an all-out war against illegal drugs, said he could not be fair with drug addicts.

He said he would be "cruel" to them.

Pemberton served his sentence in a facility inside military's Camp Aquinaldo headquarters in Quezon City and was never transferred to New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. Celerina Monte/DMS