MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer of US Marine L/Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was granted absolute pardon by President Rodrigo Duterte, is hoping for his release by week’s end.
“I am hoping he would get out by Friday,” lawyer Rowena Flores said in an interview with ANC on Tuesday. She assured that they will comply with all legal requirements before Pemberton would leave the Philippines.
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“At this time, I can assure you that he would not be spirited away from the country and that he will comply with whatever there is before he goes out of the country,” she said.
This includes clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration, such as taking of photos and fingerprints. But the lawyer said they would be asking the two bureaus to send their people to Camp Aguinaldo, where Pemberton is serving his sentence, to avoid “media circus.”
Pemberton served his sentence in a facility in the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters, under the Visiting Forces Agreement.
“I heard that they do this in special circumstances well I would ask them to extend the same thing to Pemberton,” she said.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, for his part, said the grant of pardon to Pemberton is enough to "trigger the issuance of a release order from the [Bureau of Corrections]."
RELATED: Duterte pardon grant to Pemberton 'solely his own' — Guevarra
Flores also said the US Embassy has not contacted them yet on Pemberton’s release, but in a separate interview with Dobol B sa News TV, she said the US serviceman would be escorted by the representative from the Embassy on his flight. A US military plane would be used, she added.
The Olongapo Regional Trial Court Branch 74 is in the process of resolving appeals on its earlier order to release Pemberton on account of time allowances he earned for his conduct while in prison, but the court proceedings are now moot.
Duterte granted absolute pardon to Pemberton and said the latter should be given presumption of good character while in prison—a legal issue raised in the appeals in the local court.
“It’s not fair. Hindi makatarungan, so I told Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Justice Secretary Menardo Gueavarra. It’s my decision to pardon. Correct me if I’m wrong, this is how I view the case. You have not treated Pemberton fairly, so I ordered his release,” Duterte said in a public address Monday night.
READ: Duterte on Pemberton pardon: Allow him the good character presumption
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