Olongapo City, Zambales — A few days after the Solicitor General declared that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is constitutional, the death of a transvestite here in Olongapo City have strengthened rumors of culture clash between Americans and Filipino.
MANNING THE AAV — US soldiers man the amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) during the Mechanized Assault Exercises in San Antonio, Zambales, last October 4. (Jonas Reyes)
Twenty-six-year-old transvestite Jeffrey Laude was found dead inside his hotel room around 11:45 p.m. Saturday a few minutes after he and a Caucasian male with marine-cut hairstyle checked in.
Room attendant Elias Gallamos said he saw the suspect leave the room but still saw a pair of slippers inside it. Hotel attendants usually clean the room right after hotel customer check out of their rooms.
Gallamos returned to check on the room and discovered Laude’s body slumped on the toilet. According to a report, Laude may have been hit in the head by a blunt object then drowned in toilet water.
A report from theMarine Corps Times stated that an unidentified marine is being held on board “USS Peleliu” as agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) probe the Laude killing, along with the Olongapo City Police Office (OCPO).
According to an internal Navy memo obtained by Marine Corps Times, the marine being detained is assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The infantry unit the marine was assigned to recently take part in the Amphibious Landing Exercise 2015.
The report also stated that three other Marines from the same unit were also detained aboard the ship, citing that they are potential witnesses to the crime.
FOREBODING — The ‘USS Peleliu’ (left) and the ‘USS Germantown’ are docked at the Alava Pier inside the Subic Bay Freeport, yesterday. A marine is being held for investigation inside the USS Peleliu over the death of a transvestite in Olongapo City. (Jonas Reyes)
The death, isolated as it is, has rattled the thoughts of netizens in Olongapo on the possible increase in criminal activities due to the enhanced presence of US servicemen in the city.
Activists would probably use this incident to further their cause of blocking EDCA from materializing.
Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said EDCA is necessary for the country’s internal and external security, considering the “international platform of politics” as well as “recent events within Philippine territory.”
Thus, he said, EDCA is one of the security measures needed “to achieve a minimum credible defense to the manifold security concerns in the West Philippine Sea.”
Filipino and American military officials met yesterday to discuss key security issues, including details of EDCA.
According to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr., both the Mutual Defense Board (MDB) and the Security Engagement Board (SEB) assembled yesterday with their US counterpart in Manila.
Catapang earlier stated that part of the discussion will be the location of the US military facilities. And with the SolGen declared that EDCA is constitutional, the plans of setting up some parts of Subic Bay Freeport into a US military facility are a probability.
http://www.mb.com.ph/transgenders-death-casts-dark-shadow-on-edca/
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