MANILA, Philippines—Is an “American spy” stalking the lawyer of slain Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude’s family? Harry Roque believes so, and he is concerned others might also be trailing his witnesses.
The lead counsel of the family of the Filipino transgender woman slain in Olongapo City a week ago believes he is being followed, likely in an attempt to “check what evidence I have” against Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, the US Marine tagged in the slay.
“Since arriving in Olongapo on Wednesday, when we finished discussing the case with the [Laude] family and I started my own investigation, everywhere I went, there was an American man who was following me,” Roque told reporters in an interview late Friday.
Told in jest that the man might just be a fan of a prominent lawyer who has handled high-profile cases, Roque joked back: “He’s not a fan. He did not ask for a selfie.”
Lawyer Harry Roque. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Roque described the man as being of strong build and sporting a military haircut.
“I went to the [Olongapo] Fiscal’s Office, the American was there. I went to the police station, the American was there. I went to the house of one witness, he was also there,” Roque said.
“Once I leave, I will see him there. Kaya napipikon ako eh (I’m getting peeved)… He also talks to people I already talked to,” Roque said.
He cited the urgency of placing his three witnesses— all of whom identified Pemberton to be the last person seen with Laude before she was killed—under the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program.
Roque went to the DOJ Friday to formally request that the witnesses be placed under the WPP.
“If the lawyer could be followed openly by an American, I’m sure they are already following the witnesses, and they (witnesses) might be intimidated by their presence,” said Roque.
“Barbie” had identified Pemberton in a police lineup as the man who left the Olongapo City bar with her just before she was found dead at a lodging house.
On Friday, the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office sent subpoenas to Pemberton throught the Department of Foreign Affairs for him to appear at the preliminary investigation scheduled Oct. 21. Four other Marines were also invited as witnesses.
The American servicemen invited to the hearing are known to remain aboard the USS Peleliu, an American warship still docked at the Subic Freeport.
The suspect is part of a contingent of US soldiers who arrived for military exercises with Philippine troops.
The Department of Justice has agreed to provide protection to “Barbie,” a key witness in the Oct. 11 slay of Jennifer Laude.
Roque said Saturday afternoon that Barbie (real name not released) was already under the custody of the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program.
Two other witnesses whom Roque requested to also be admitted into the program were still making arrangments with their families, the lawyer said.
“Barbie is the most important. She’s the star witness because she was the one who last saw Jennifer alive with Pemberton. She accompanied them to the lodge” where Laude was later found dead, Roque said.
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