JENNIFER LAUDE MURDER CASE TIMELINE:
December 1, 2015 – Pemberton is found “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” of homicide in Laude’s death. He is sentenced to 6-12 years imprisonment. The Rappler 2021.
January 6, 2016 – Rowena Garcia Flores, Pemberton’s lawyer, files an appeal seeking to reverse Pemberton’s conviction. Flores also files a separate motion seeking a reduced sentence in the event that the acquittal is not granted. The Rappler 2016.
March 29, 2016 – Olongapo Regional Trial Court Branch 74 reduces Pemberton’s jail term from 12 years to 10 years. The Rappler 2016.
August 15, 2017 – The Philippine Court of Appeals affirms the homicide ruling against Pemberton with a maximum 10-year sentence and upholds the payment of P4.32 million to Jennifer Laude’s family. The Rappler 2016.
June 2, 2020 – Pemberton withdraws his appeal from the Philippine Supreme Court, accepting a 2015 lower court ruling which sentenced him to 1 years in prison over homicide. This is the same day the Philippines suspends termination of the VFA. The Rappler 2020.
August 25, 2020 – Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 starts hearing Pemberton’s motion to avail of his good conduct time allowance (GCTA). The Rappler 2020.
August 26, 2020 – Pemberton pays Laude family over P4.6 million in civil damages. The Rappler 2020.
September 2, 2020 – Philippine Regional Trial Court Branch 74 orders the early release for good conduct of US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, 4 years ahead of his full sentence. The Washington Post 2020.
September 4, 2020 – A dispute over whether Pemberton should be given good conduct time allowance (GCTA) while serving his sentence blocks his immediate release. He will not be freed until a court resolves the issue. Philippine Inquirer 2020.
- Virgie Lacsa Suarez, a lawyer for the Laude family, had filed a motion against Pemberton’s early release.
- Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete says the Bureau of Corrections “will not yet process the release of Pemberton” pending the resolution of the Laude family’s motion for reconsideration.
- Romel Bagares, a counsel for the Laude family, says Pemberton was not entitled to a sentence reduction because the Philippines and the U.S. did not agree that the GCTA law would apply to him.
- Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque criticizes the judge’s decision to give good conduct credit to Pemberton, saying it was “an instance of judicial overreach.” He says he “deplores the short period of imprisonment meted on Pemberton who killed a Filipino under the most gruesome manner. Laude’s death personifies the death of Philippine sovereignty.” The Rappler 2020.
September 7, 2020 – President Duterte grants absolute pardon to Lance Cpl. Pemberton. Pemberton has supposedly served only 6 of his 10-year sentence. His early release was based on deductions on his jail time, brought by the controversial good conduct time allowance (GCTA). Philippine Inquirer 2020.
- Duterte says in a televised address, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is how I view the case: You have not treated Pemberton fairly. So I released him. Pardon.” The Rappler 2020.
- Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque now justifies Duterte’s decision to grant absolute pardon by saying Duterte cleared only the punishment imposed on Pemberton, not the US soldier’s conviction. The Rappler 2020.
September 13, 2020 – Lance Cpl. Pemberton is deported from the Philippines, saying in a farewell message that he was “extremely grateful” to President Duterte for pardoning him and expressing his “most sincere sympathy” to the family of Jennifer Laude. He is brought to Camp Smith in Hawaii. USA Today 2020, NY Times 2020.
September 14, 2020 – Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque states that Pemberton will continue to face court-martial proceedings in the U.S. as promised by U.S. authorities. Asian Journal 2020.
September 16, 2020 – U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson says Lance Cpl. Pemberton will no longer undergo court-martial proceedings and that he will be processed for administrative discharge. Asian Journal 2020.
