Sep 08 2020 12:47 PMMANILA — The family of slain transgender Jennifer Laude had thought of President Rodrigo Duterte as an “ally”—until he pardoned the US soldier convicted in her killing, their lawyer said Tuesday.
Laude’s sister Marilou was “shocked” when Duterte announced Monday that he would give absolute pardon to American Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, said her lawyer Virginia Suarez. “She said, ‘Akala ko attorney kakampi namin si Duterte, akala ko ayaw niya sa Amerika.
Bakit ganoon?’” Suarez told ANC. (She said, ‘I thought Duterte was our ally, I thought he dislikes America. Why did that happen?)The pardon came despite Duterte shifting away from the US to seek closer relations with China since assuming power in 2016.