Philippine leader pardons US Marine in transgender killing
Star Tribune
By Jim Gomez Associated Press
September 7, 2020
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine president pardoned a U.S. Marine on Monday in a surprise move that will free him from imprisonment in the 2014 killing of a transgender Filipino woman that sparked anger in the former American colony.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet that President Rodrigo Duterte "granted an absolute pardon" to Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton "to do justice," but did not elaborate.
A left-wing human rights group, Karapatan, immediately condemned the pardon as a "despicable and shameless mockery of justice and servility to U.S. imperialist interests."
Pemberton, 25, was convicted of homicide and has been serving a prison term of six to 10 years for the killing of Jennifer Laude in a motel in Olongapo city, northwest of Manila.
The courts had just ruled that he could be released from jail for good behavior but the president stepped in and pardon him.
Last week, the Regional Trial Court in Olongapo city, which handled Pemberton's case, ordered authorities to release him early from detention for good conduct, but Laude's family appealed the order, blocking the Marine's early release.
The court order rekindled perceptions that American military personnel who run afoul of Philippine laws can get special treatment under the allies' Visiting Forces Agreement, which provides the legal framework for temporary visits by U.S. forces to the country for large-scale combat exercises.
In other trans news from the Republican convention last week…
Cissie Graham Lynch attacks transgender rights in RNC speech
Lynch, the granddaughter of late evangelical pastor Billy Graham, referred to transgender girls as "boys" in her Republican National Convention speech.
NBC News
By Dartunorro Clark
August 26, 2020
Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of late evangelical pastor Billy Graham and daughter of evangelist Franklin Graham, gave a primetime speech at the Republican National Convention aimed at boasting about President Donald Trump’s policies that protect so-called religious liberty.
During her speech, she referred to transgender girls as "boys” while discussing policies that aim to accommodate transgender people based on their gender identity.
"Democrats pressured schools to allow boys to compete in girls sports and use girls locker rooms,” she said.
There were no efforts to “pressure” schools. However, there have been legal battles provoked by conservatives after largely Democratic lawmakers passed various measures to accommodate transgender Americans.
The Republican strategy for winning the elections is create fear, hate, and drive wedge through the country… us vs. them.
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