US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton. (Photo: Facebook)
A US Marine accused of murder told a Philippine court Monday he fought with and subdued a transgender Filipina in self-defense but denied murdering her, his lawyer said.
Eight months after he was charged over the death of Jennifer Laude, US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton admitted they fought after oral sex because Laude did not have a female organ, said his lawyer Rowena Flores.
The trial is closed to the press and court officials do not comment on details.
The case has attracted national attention as the Philippines seeks closer defense ties with its longtime ally the United States, in the face of Chinese territorial claims in the West Philippine (South China) Sea.
Pemberton, who was 22 at the time, said Laude, 26, slapped him and caused him to respond "in defense", Flores said.
"After some time, to subdue Jeffrey, Joseph Scott Pemberton held his (Laude's) head under his armpit. Jeffrey stopped moving. Joseph Scott Pemberton tried to revive him," Flores added, using the victim's former name of Jeffrey.
She quoted Pemberton as saying "I felt like I was raped by Laude."
"He (Pemberton) was so repulsed and so disgusted because he did not give his consent to allow a man to do that to him," Benjamin Tolosa Jr, another lawyer for Pemberton, said.
Harry Roque, a lawyer representing the victim's family at the trial, said the US marine testified he held Laude in an "armlock" until she stopped moving.
"He then dragged her to (the) bathroom and dumped her," Roque added.
“Bakit, yun sa tingin niya, ang pagsampal ay nagkaroon ng banta sa kanyang buhay dahil malinaw naman na kalmot lang ang kanyang natamo (Why, as Pemberton testified, was the slap a threat to his life when it was clear that he only sustained a scratch),” Roque said.
Jennifer’s mother was not convinced with Pemberton’s testimony.
“Nanginginig ako. Talagang hindi ko… gusto kong batuhin, kasi sinungaling (I’m trembling. I really cannot… I want to throw something at him because he’s a liar,” Jennifer’s mother, Julita Laude, said.
She said that if Pemberton was indeed innocent, why didn’t he seek the help of his colleagues when Jennifer fell unconscious.
Another lawyer for the family, Virgie Suarez, said Pemberton confessed to choking Laude but said he thought she was just unconscious.
Flores said Pemberton told the court he left Laude "alive in the bathroom".
Pemberton's lawyers again insisted that the modus operandi of Laude's group was to deceive others into believing that they were females.
Government prosecutors confirmed Pemberton testified but did not comment further.
Earlier, they said Pemberton and Laude had left a bar in the northern port of Olongapo City and checked in at a nearby motel, where they alleged the American strangled the victim.
Pemberton, who had just taken part in joint US-Philippine military exercises nearby when the alleged murder occurred, was taken to the Olongapo trial court Monday by armed escort from his cell at a Philippine military camp in Manila.
He was the second witness for the defense.
His mother Lisa Pemberton took the stand a week ago, when lawyers said she identified letters from family friends and relatives attesting to his good character.
[Read related story: US Marine Pemberton puts mom on witness stand in Laude murder case]
The judicial proceedings will continue until December.
Here's a related News5 video report by Mon Gualvez:
[Video report]
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/116533/video--us-marine-pemberton-fought-but-did-not-murder-laude-says-lawyer
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