MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang denied on Thursday that President Benigno Aquino was involved in the transfer of US Marines Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton to a Philippine military base.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Pemberton's transfer was a product of the coordination between officials of government agencies and their American counterparts.
"Batid naman natin kung sino ang mga opisyal ng Department of Foreign Affairs at ng mga iba pang ahensya. Ang Pangulo ay Chief Executive. Siguro naman kikilalanin natin na hindi naman kailangang siya mismo ang maging involved sa bawat kilos," Coloma said in a press briefing.
Pemberton, the suspect in the killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude, was transferred yesterday to a air-conditioned detention facility at Camp Aguinaldo, the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
During a media forum, Aquino said Pemberton's transfer to a Philippine facility was a "very healthy development."
"Previously, the Daniel Smith case, he was in the US Embassy, not our facility. Extraterritoriality. Now, it's in our camp. I think they are responding to our needs and our sensitivities," Aquino said.
Various sectors have claimed that the Aquino administration is giving special treatment to Pemberton, which Aquino denied.
"The Aquino administration failure to assert on the custody of Pemberton proves its obedience to its masters in Washington," said Vencer Crisostomo, national chairperson of militant group Anakbayan.
Aquino assured yesterday that the US will make Pemberton available for the investigative and the judicial processes, as required by the Visiting Forces Agreement.