U.S. Marine linked to Pinoy transgender slay says ‘he did something wrong’— Olongapo mayor

Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, the identified suspect in the death of a transgender Filipino in Olongapo City last October 11, allegedly hinted admission upon questioning by Philippine authorities, but immediately invoked his right to a lawyer and would not elaborate further.

In the course of the initial investigation on October 14, the suspect allegedly stated, I did something wrong’ Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino said in an interview on DZBB.

The city mayor noted that having said those words, the suspect immediately invoked his right to a lawyer. “So it ended there,” he said in Filipino.

Earlier, at least two witnesses testified that they last saw Laude with an “unidentified male white foreigner” with a marine “style of hair cut” and is between 25 and 30 years old.

Later on, Pemberton was positively identified by witness Mark Clarence Gelviro through a photo line-up process.

As reported by the authorities earlier, two used condoms were recovered from the room in Celzone Lodge where Laude was found dead, and that Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) are still verifying whether these belonged to Laude and the suspect.

Police officials said Laude died from drowning, based on the presence of water found in the lungs of the victim and swollen face.

Based on reports, the victim did not have gender reassignment surgery, but had breast implants.

The United States on Tuesday confirmed it has taken custody of the suspect, whom it said is assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The departure of American ships from Subic Bay has also been put on hold pending the probe.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Monday that the Philippines could ask the US “to waive custody,” as critics fear another battle over custody of a US serviceman who broke Philippine law even as he disclosed that this could be done “in the case of heinous crimes.”

The incident happened months after the Philippines and the US signed a new military pact that aims to expand the presence and role of American soldiers in the country.

Pemberton is the second US soldier to be involved in a criminal act in the country since 2005 in which Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was charged and later on convicted for the rape of a Filipino woman.