US Marine found guilty of killing transgender woman in Philippines

The conviction of Lance Corporal Joseph Pemberton has raised questions about the relationship between the US and its former colony

The conviction of Lance Corporal Joseph Pemberton has raised questions about the relationship between the US and its former colony (AP)

A court in the Philippines has found a US Marine guilty of killing a transgender woman and jailed him for up to 12 years, in a case that has reignited debate about the presence of the American military in its former colony.

Reports said that the Olongapo City regional trial court also ordered Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton to pay more than 4.5m pesos ($95,350) to the family of Jennifer Laude, who was found dead last year in a hotel outside a former US navy base, northwest of Manila.

Reuters said that Pemberton will serve a minimum of six years and a maximum of 12 years in jail. He had been charged with murder but was convicted of the lesser offence of homicide, which does not require malicious intent.

There is a dispute about where the Marine should serve his sentence (AP)

He has the right to appeal against both the verdict and the sentence.

“This is not quite a victory,” said Ms Laude’s sister, Malou.

“We expected a murder conviction but instead got homicide. We are not contented with the decision.”

Pemberton had earlier admitted in court to choking, but not killing, Ms Laude. He said he had acted in self-defence after he discovered that a man was giving him oral sex, not a woman.

Protesters outside the Hall of Justice carried placards saying “Justice for Jennifer Laude! Justice for the Filipino people” and “Jail Pemberton in the Philippines”.

The case has underscored the sometimes testy relationship between the US and the Philippines, which was a territory of the US between 1898 to 1946.

In 1991, the Philippine Congress voted to expel the U.S. military from Naval Station Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base. The vote came at a time when many in the Philippines viewed the United States as having too much influence over their country.

In a reversal of that policy, last year, the Philippines signed a 10-year agreement to allow the United States to post troops, weapons and materials at several bases, including Subic Bay.

The debate has been triggered by a dispute over where Pemberton should serve his sentence. At the moment, he is due to held at the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa.

A lawyer for the victim said there was a brief dispute with US officials about where Pemberton should go that was resolved when the judge ordered he be held at a Philippine army base for five days while a permanent solution was found.

“This is a sad day for the Philippines. It shows the US gets what it wants,” said lawyer Harry Roque.