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Only 4 of 139 Duterte pardons went to foreigners: DOJ

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/09/09/20200907-duterte-iatf-eid-mnib-2.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte gives his weekly statement after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Sept. 7, 2020. <em>Ace Morandante, Presidential Photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Only 4 of the 139 executive clemencies that President Rodrigo Duterte has issued so far during his term went to foreigners, the justice department said Wednesday, following criticism of the pardon for a US soldier who killed a Filipina transgender woman. </p><p>Of these 139 conditional and absolute pardons since 2016, 135 went to Filipinos. The 4 that were for foreigners included 2 that were under a prisoner swap deal with the UAE, said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. </p><p>“This is a lot more than than the total number of pardons given during the previous administration,” he told ANC. “Mas maluwag ang Presidente [Duterte] sa pagbibigay ng pardons.”</p><p>(President Duterte is more lenient in giving pardons.) </p><p>Around 90 or 91 other inmates had their application for early release under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) processed from September last year until last month, Guevarra said. </p><p>Before this, GCTA applications were temporarily suspended after media reports bared that some heinous crime convicts walked free due to the scheme. </p><p>The justice and interior departments&#x27; new GCTA rules removed “ambiguities,” Guevarra said. Some issues remain unresolved, including the grant of GCTA for those convicted of heinous crimes, he added. </p><p>“For those not affected by these issues, the processing ought to have continued and I presume na simple lang ang kaso and wala namang connection sa mga complication that have pointed out, patuloy ang pagga-grant ng GCTA,” said Guevarra. </p><p>The justice department is also following Duterte’s order to expedite the paroles for elderly prisoners to decongest penitentiaries during the coronavirus pandemic. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g9qY1Ajmw4M?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Duterte earlier this week pardoned US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, who has been in prison since the October 2014 killing of Jennifer Laude, whom he met at a bar while on break from military exercises in the northern city of Olongapo. </p><p>A local court ruled last week that Pemberton qualified for early release due to the GCTA, but was still being held due to an appeal. Duterte&#x27;s pardon clears all legal obstacles to the soldier&#x27;s release, despite him serving just over half his 10-year sentence. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/09/08/20/laude-family-thought-duterte-an-allyuntil-pemberton-pardon-lawyer">Laude family thought Duterte an ‘ally’—until Pemberton pardon: lawyer </a></li></ul><p>The Laude family lawyer condemned the decision, calling it a &quot;mockery&quot; of the country&#x27;s justice system.</p><p>&quot;This is another injustice -- not only to Jennifer Laude and family but a grave injustice to the Filipino people,&quot; Virginia Suarez said in a statement. &quot;This is a travesty of Philippine sovereignty and democracy.&quot; <br/> <br/>The pardon shows that Duterte’s administration sides with power, Vice President Leni Robredo said Tuesday. </p><p>“Napakaraming mga Pilipino na mas magaan ang sala, ngunit hindi nabibigyang-pansin o nabibigyan ng ganitong uri ng pribilehiyo. Ang nakikita natin: Kapag mahirap, may parusa; kapag mayaman at nasa poder, malaya,&quot; she said. </p><p>(There are many Filipinos whose cases are lighter, but do not get attention or this kind of privilege. What we see is that those who are poor are punished; those who are wealthy and in power are free.) </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/08/20/duterte-cant-fight-foreign-power-laude-camp-says-after-pemberton-pardon">Duterte can’t fight foreign power, Laude camp says after Pemberton pardon</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/08/20/pemberton-hopes-to-go-back-to-school-after-duterte-pardon-lawyer">Pemberton hopes to go back to school after Duterte pardon: lawyer</a></li></ul><div><strong>-- With reports from Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse </strong></div>

<p>Only 4 of the 139 executive clemencies that President Rodrigo Duterte has issued so far during his term went to foreigners, the justice department said Wednesday, following criticism of the pardon for a US soldier who killed a Filipina transgender woman. <br /> </p>

Only 4 of the 139 executive clemencies that President Rodrigo Duterte has issued so far during his term went to foreigners, the justice department said Wednesday, following criticism of the pardon for a US soldier who killed a Filipina transgender woman.