De Lima sees nothing wrong with settlement offer to Laude kin

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday said she does not see anything wrong with the reported P21-million settlement offer to the family of slain Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude as part plea bargain in the murder case against US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton.

“We have to remember that in preliminary conference or pre-trial, plea bargaining is allowed – subject to agreement of parties,” de Lima told reporters in an ambush interview.

The family of Laude rejected the offer and accused lead prosecutor Emelie Fe Delos Santos of pushing for the plea bargain.

They added that they were excluded from the negotiation with the Pemberton camp and asked de Lima to replace Delos Santos.

De Lima said she would look into the complaint of the Laude family against Delos Santos.

She said she has already directed the prosecutor to answer the protest filed by Laude’s mother Julita and sister Malou earlier this week.

“I’m asking City Prosecutor delos Santos to submit a comment on that before I make a decision,” she revealed.

But de Lima said it would not be easy to grant the request of the Laude family to replace Delos Santos, especially since she is “one of our best prosecutors.”

“She’s really tough and she knows that case by heart, so there should be compelling or cogent reason to replace her. I want to hear her side first on the allegations,” she explained. AC