The lawyer of Jennifer Laude’s family is questioning the release order issued by the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 for US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton.
Laude’s lawyer, Atty. Virginia Lacsa Suarez, criticizes the release order of Pemberton since she says “there’s no good conduct that can ever be attributed” to the convicted US marine. Pemberton was released through the Good Conduct and Time Allowance (GCTA).
Atty. Suarez claims that Pemberton is a “privileged” prisoner whose good conduct was “never put to a test.”
“Remember kahit ikulong mo si Pemberton di mamapektuhan yung ating mga prison cells dahil nakahiwalay siya. The very purpose of GCTA is to declog the prisons, di ‘yun mangyayari dito kay Pemberton because he is imprisoned sa very special and privileged facility,” she added.
(“Remember that even if you keep Pemberton in prison, our prison cells won’t be affected since he is placed in a separate facility. The very purpose of GCTA is to declog the prisons and that won’t happen in the case of Pemberton because he is imprisoned in a very special and privileged facility.”)
Olongapo RTC release order
In its September 1 release order, the Olongapo RTC Branch 74 stated that Pemberton has a “total accumulated time served with entitled of GCTA of 10 years, one month and 10 days which is more than the 10-year maximum penalty imposed by this court and affirmed by the Court of Appeals (CA).”
However, Suarez argued that based on the Bureau of Correction’s (BuCor) computation, the marine still had “another 10 months” to serve. She also pointed out the lack of a recommendation from the management, screening, and evaluation committee, which is required under the GCTA law.
Atty. Suarez said: “Walang recommendation, wala ding naipakitang records ng mga activities ni Pemberton na dapat ay recorded ng time allowance supervisor”
(“There was no recommendation or even records of activities by Pemberton that should have been recorded by the time allowance supervisor.”)
Lauder’s lawyer explained that under the law, good conduct is measured by a prisoner’s participation in rehabilitation programs, authorized work activities, and exemplary deeds.
She added: “Kahit minsan…he never apologized to the family, napaka simpleng good conduct di niya nagawa…”
(“Not once did he apologize to the family…a very simple good act that he failed to do…”)