Joseph Scott Pemberton, the United States Marine who is convicted of killing transwoman name Jennifer Laude in an Olongapo lodge in October 2014.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said on Thursday that it has started processing the release of convicted US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton.

Recalling, Pemberton was detained by the U.S. Navy, first on board his ship and then inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. He was charged with murder in front of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 

On December 1, 2015, the Olongapo Regional Trial Court found Pemberton guilty of homicide for killing Laude in 2014, and he was sentenced to 6 to 12 years in jail.

And just recently, September 7, President Rodrigo Duterte granted an absolute pardon to Pemberton which was justified by his spokesman Harry Roque, who was once a legal counsel for the Laude family.

The pardon, was condemned by the Laude family. The pardon came as public prosecutors and the Laude family were contesting a court order that said Pemberton was already due for release because he had accumulated enough good conduct time allowances (GCTA) on top of his actual time served. The outrage on the desision of President duterte create debate and the hashtag #JusticeForJenniferLaude landed on the top trending spot in social media.

And now, after the BuCor received from the Department of Justice a copy of the absolute pardon that President Rodrigo Duterte granted to the American serviceman, bureau spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag said.

“BuCor is now in coordination with relevant agencies that are involved in the process,” Chaclag told reporters.

Immigration authorities earlier said they will complete deportation proceedings against Pemberton as soon as he is released from prison.

The BuCor earlier said it will apply the ordinary release process to Pemberton. 

What can you say about this post? Share it in the discussion box below.