Murder in the Philippines. He was accused of repairing relations with Washington, triggering criticism from human rights groups and nationalists. The Duterte government has ignored justice . arrow_forward_ios了解更多 Powered by GliaStudio U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Joseph Scott Pemberton has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2014 killing of Jennifer Laude, a transgender Filipino woman, in Olongapo, a former naval base. Last week, a court said that Bemberton had performed well during his sentence. On the 7th, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. announced in a statement that Duterte had decided to unconditionally pardon Bemberton.
The news sparked protests, and Lauder's defense photo color correction services attorney Rommel Bagares slammed it, arguing that the rights of the Philippine people were ignored before foreign policy . The hashtags #JusticeForJenniferLaude (justice for Jennifer Laude) and #TransLivesMatter (transgender lives matter) became trending topics on the Internet. The New York Times pointed out that the main purpose of Duterte's move is to repair the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and the United States . The Duterte government has long been leaning on its diplomatic stance. However, after China's intensified claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, Duterte intends to enhance relations with Washington; in February this year, Duterte originally planned to terminate his relationship with the United States.
The signed military visit agreement (VFA), and then canceled the termination decision in June . Government spokesman Harry Roque, who used to be Lauder's legal adviser, said he absolutely respects Duterte's resolution and reiterated that the Philippines' foreign policy is independent and free from external influence. Duterte pardons U.S. military for killing transgender people Human Rights Watch: Gay Sex Discrimination, Bullying in Philippine Schools RTX1WME7 Photo Credit: Reuters/Dazhi Image On December 1, 2015, angry Filipinos gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Manila to burn pictures of Bimberton.