AFP readies detention cell for Pemberton

The military will upgrade the security arrangements and amenities of a Camp Aguinaldo facility that will become the jail cell of convicted US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton.

The cost of the renovations will be borne by the Philippines and the government of the United States, which reportedly wanted the repairs done to ensure that Pemberton’s cell met international standards.

Pemberton is temporarily detained at the converted container van at the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) compound in Camp Aguinaldo where he had been held since his arrest last year. But the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has taken over the job of securing him from the Americans now that he has been convicted.

Terms of VFA

In accordance with the terms of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the US and the Philippines have agreed that the facility at the barracks of the Armed Forces Custodial Center should be Pemberton’s place of detention where he will serve out his 6-to-12-year sentence for the killing of transgender Jennifer Laude at an Olongapo City hotel last year.

However, the US has requested that the facility be improved, said BuCor director general Ricardo Rainier Cruz III.

“It should meet international standards… There was a request to improve it, the expenses will be mutually shouldered,” Cruz said in a phone-patch interview.

Since his conviction by an Olongapo court last Tuesday, Pemberton has been incarcerated at his old cell, a 20-foot airconditioned container van.

The Olongapo judge immediately ordered that the Marine be taken to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, but the US servicemen securing Pemberton refused to turn him over to Philippine authorities.

Back to Aguinaldo

The court later changed its order, directing that Pemberton be detained in the meantime at his old cell at Camp Aguinaldo.

Pemberton’s soon-to-be new home is less than 100 meters away from his current detention cell. The AFP custodial center can accommodate up to 50 people.

The physical security of the new jail cell will be improved by securing it with barbed wire and installing more surveillance cameras to keep an eye on the convicted US Marine. Pemberton’s new jail cell may also be repainted and redesigned to make the temperature cooler.

The cost of the renovations will be shared between the BuCor, the AFP and the US government.

“The facility itself is okay. Pemberton is not that high-risk a prisoner, he is in the medium-security level category given his prison sentence,” Cruz said.

For the past two days, Camp Aguinaldo’s Gate 6 near the intersection of Katipunan and Boni Serrano avenues, which is close to the MDB-SEB compound where Pemberton is being temporarily detained, has been closed to vehicles.

Three shifts

Three shifts of six prison guards each keep an eye on Pemberton every day, or a total of 18 prison guards a day.

US servicemen are still on guard duty, but only as a secondary layer of security since Pemberton’s security is now primarily with the BuCor.

Pemberton’s meals are brought three times a day by the US servicemen, despite a daily P50 meal allowance given by the BuCor.

The BuCor will still give the P50 daily meal allowance to Pemberton but in monthly batches.

So far, Pemberton has not had any visits from his relatives. Most of his visitors have so far been his lawyers.

Prisoner number

Cruz said Pemberton underwent a reception and diagnostic process, which included taking his mug shots and fingerprints. The US Marine has been issued a prisoner number as well.

“I think his morale is okay, since he went back to his old cell. He probably thought that he would end up at the New Bilibid Prison,” the BuCor official said.

According to Cruz, even before Pemberton was convicted last Tuesday, US and Philippine authorities through the Visiting Forces Agreement Commission had already agreed on Camp Aguinaldo as the possible detention area.

“There was an agreement already between the BuCor, the AFP, as well as the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police, that he won’t be detained at the NBP,” he said.

He said this was provided for in the VFA, and that the renovations to Pemberton’s jail cell was also provided for in the VFA.