After apologizing, Laude’s boyfriend leaving PH

Marilou Laude climbs over the gate leading to the detention facilities inside the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board at Camp Aguinaldo.

OLONGAPO CITY, Zambales – Marc Sueselbeck, boyfriend of slain transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, is leaving the country on Sunday, free of any legal obstacle – or so his lawyer said.

Sueselbeck has apologized to a government official for breaching security at Camp Aquinaldo, where Laude’s suspected killer is detained, said lawyer Harry Roque, counsel of the Laude family.

Television footage and newspaper photographs showed Sueselbeck and Laude’s sister, Marilou, climbing over a fence near a joint Philippine-American facility where US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton is detained.

Footage also showed Sueselbeck pushing a military guard, who blocked his way to the detention facility.

Both Sueselbeck and Marilou have apologized to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The official was sent to Laude’s wake on the eve of her Friday burial, Roque said.

“Wala na ‘yun (It’s over). The government official went on the last day of the wake and he (Sueselbeck) had apologized. Issue is closed,” Roque said in text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Saturday.

At the necrological service for Laude at the St. Columban Church here on Friday, Marilou again apologized for their actions at Camp Aguinaldo.

“I’m sorry. Marc and I merely wanted to ensure that Pemberton was really in [Camp] Aguinaldo so we could hold him responsible for the murder of my sister,” she said.

Marilou said she was overcome by emotion. She told reporters that they did not intend to climb over the fence but high emotion prompted them to cross to the detention area.

Sueselbeck said he regretted the incident. “It was not right. It was disrespectful toward Philippine authorities,” he said.

He said he overheard some military guards make offensive jokes about Marilou, who was the first to climb the fence. He said the jokes angered him enough to follow Marilou over the fence.

“I did not intend to offend the military. I did it because I just wanted to negotiate with them because we wanted to see the suspect shown to us,” Sueselbeck said.

Should the government proceed with the prosecution of Sueselbeck for the Camp Aguinaldo incident, Roque said, “The irony will not be lost on the Filipino people.”

“Here is a person seeking justice for someone he loves, who would be placed behind bars while the very person accused of the murder remains outside Philippine laws,” Roque said in a statement.

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