As expected, US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was a no-show in yesterday’s preliminary hearing on the death of Filipino transgender Jeffrey Laude in which he stands accused. Pemberton’s legal counsel Rowena Garcia Flores reportedly argued that her client’s presence was “not required” and that he “was still studying the complaint against him.” In response, chief prosecutor Fe de los Santos issued a non-legal argument: “The attendance of the marine will serve as a very good assessment of the willingness of the US government to comply with the provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement,” de los Santos said.
Filipino lynch mob activism at work
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The Philippines has long been virtually wholly dependent on the United States for national defense. It sports the weakest military in the region and is currently watching helplessly as China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) marches in and liberates it of its territories in the “West Philippine Sea”. But GABRIELA party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan had expressed fears early this year that “the country could see a rise in women and child abuse cases as a result of the 10-year defense deal that will allow greater US military presence in the country.”
Ilagan seems to conveniently forget, however, that many of the most heinous crimes in the Philippines are perpetrated by Filipinos themselves. Indeed, it is likely that crime that can be directly attributed to American military personnel is statistically insignificant. Indeed, the most recent high-profile crackdowns on child abuse in the Philippines were, in fact, initiated by foreign law enforcement agencies. This is another example of the way Filipinos are motivated by foreign pressure first before any self-initiative. Left to their own devices, local law enforcement agencies will have likely left that cancer to fester right under their noses.
Filipino “activists” should also consider the tens (possibly hundreds) of thousands of Filipino lives that were saved and relieved of their misery by the awesome might of the US military back in late 2013 after super typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines. If there were “victims” of “human rights violations” supposedly perpetrated by US troops in the past, as Ilagan points out, maybe that bit of math will put things in a bit more perspective for the honourable party-list “representative”. Perhaps Ilagan should, instead, spend her days going after her colleagues in government who make a killing syphoning off money intended for the rehabilitation of the disaster areas.
Left without US military assistance, the Philippines is a largely helpless and defenseless nation.
Needless to say, there are other, more pressing things Filipino “activists” should be worrying about than, say, American GI’s on Philippine soil being preyed upon by an underworld of sex workers. Perhaps they should keep the heat on pork barrel thieves and murderous Mindanao warlords like Andal Ampatuan rather than on a country and its government that, according to recent research, Filipinos love. In short, the Filipino people’s enemy is not America — it is themselves and the government they’ve built for themselves. It’s high time our so-called “activists” figure that out.
[Photos courtesy BBC News and UPI respectively.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Your 100% correct benign0. It seems that this Gabriela group has the same ideals with that of Jeffrey Laude. Sorry for him, may he rest in peace and get his justice ultimately, but the way him and Gabriela portray in my own eyes, one thing is common, they live in their own agendas, he believes he get scot-free portraying as a make believe woman and ultimately fool everyone that he’s a woman, and others believe well that he is a woman too and met his gruesome end for such. While Gabriela portrays for the general welfare but short of doing things, but for the eyes of the viewing public who at times believe them as well too. Bottom line, your view on this is as accurate as my own perspective and well written as well…
and a big FUCK YOU from the USA military. How ya like’m dat, hah ? Well, guess what? They don’t give a shit if you like it or not.
Can’t agree more. When a Japanese girl was raped, the U.S. military turned over their servicemen to face Japanese courts but when a Filipino got killed, they won’t turn him over to Philippine courts. Just goes to show you how the world sees the Philippines.
“GABRIELA and other leftist groups have also latched on to the case to bolster their long-standing efforts to discredit the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which governs the joint military operations being conducted by Philippine and United States forces within Philippine territory.”
Any decision concerning a treaty as important and essential to the Philippines’ security as the VFA shouldn’t be driven by popular opinion or fear mongering from intellectually stunted gadflies throwing a tantrum because they lost the Cold War. Discuss and debate the issue. Filipinos need to stop acting like five-year-olds.
We have a nation of idiots. We have diplomatic laws and we don’t like following them. We’d rather picket on streets than do something more productive in our daily lives. Don’t get me wrong, I want justice for Laude’s death but LGBT, Gabriela and other communist group taking advantage of the issue should just shut the fuck up.
Leftist groups found an excuse to shout and burn effigies. again. I think they should do the same in front of the chinese embassy. Few months ago, a chinese government ship rammed and killed local fishermen off the coast of zambales, if im not mistaken.
But the US is supposed to be friends. Anyway, I’m guessing more Filipinos were killed by US servicemen than Chinese one.
This just in (a few hours ago)… In one swoop, the US has hit the protestors AND Senator Santiago with a nice steaming cup of “STFU” by transferring Pemberton to Camp Aguinaldo. Film at eleven. LOL
Ugly and distasteful, dont speak too soon , problem is so many of them using this Laude case. Everytime a hot topic comes in we usually expect this people to emerge in the picture .
“In short, the Filipino people’s enemy is not America — it is themselves and the government they’ve built for themselves. It’s high time our so-called “activists” figure that out.”
Right on.
The only way the VFA can be dissolved is when the Philippines already have its own strong military and the activists, instead of being empowered by their misguided reasons, would know how to defend their country and their people from corruption, lawlessness, terrorist and invaders. As the saying goes, “Bago ka tumingin sa malayo, sa malapit muna.”
Even way back in college i couldn’t stand this group called GABRIELA. Even if something is a non issue, they put much meaning into it. They say women’s rights are trampled upon in school activities and such, even if there really is no issue at all. That’s why they fail to get sympathy from the general student population in UP, unlike other militant groups in the campus. How seemingly intelligent female students are convinced to join this wacko group is beyond my comprehension. Gabriela is composed of nothing but extremely paranoid attention seeking morons.
Correction. They’re communists disguising as feminists. Never take them seriously.
Why all the outrage from women’s groups for someone who forced themselves into the club? If Jeffrey stayed as Jeffrey he would not be alone with Pemberton in a hotel room in any way shape or form. Well google the lyrics to Lou Reed’s Take a Walk On The Wild Side. The Wild Side does not come free of risks. Play with fire you might get burned. I am no way excusing snuffing someone’s life out but this whole victim card is SOP for pinoys. No accountability but demand it. Like Noynoy.
Here is the song. With lyrics http://youtu.be/4p_cXfdz8Hw
i thought gabriela are for women’s rights? why are they meddling in gay rights now? is it because nobody pays attention to this idiots anymore?
Laude is a she/he…woman/man…idiots are everywhere in our country; shouting for any cause, worthy to be shouted for…
It is the same aggressive condemnation again. It is a repeat of the Nicolas-Smith case. The activists are the same; the people shouting for condemnation are the same. When the U.S. offered a Green Card to Nicolas; to drop the Rape case. She grabed it; and is now living in the good old U.S.A.
What has happened had happened. Let us wait and see, what comes next. “Abangan ang susunod na kananata…”
Gabriella members are out to lunch. Gabby, Gabby, always whining. Probably taking thier angst out on the world because they are miserable with themselves.
My only thought on this is: An article that mentions Aquino by name and bashing is nowhere to be found? Weh, di nga?
Liquid paper: if PH legal system was as good as Japan, US would turn him over to PH
Now as it is, the suspect has been convicted in the court of media and unrelated forces demanding the death of the marine
If you were US, would you let him be with the PH ?
ah, well, the attention seeking may just put the marine through a firing squad, just to win votes and be seen as strong, even if the truth turns out it was a case of temporary insanity and the story is already out that Jeffrey was not ready to disclose his male ‘equipment’
“…Filipino ‘activist’ Furious!” Where is the fury on:
– the snail-paced wheels of justice for the victims of the Magindanau Massacre
– accountability on the deaths of the Hacienda Luisita farmers
– etc, etc, etc
Jeeeeeeeeeeeeez, the priorities of some people really need to be redefined.
blah blah blah what is going on?
Framing issues – using a murder trail as the stage for trying to get society to understand and validate persons who consciously choose their gender while continuing to vilify the USA. so many boys want to be a beautiful princess and many girls want to be … —> issues around gender. How do you identify yourself? and how is that different from how the Law identifies you? This issue of Identity in Law ? who decides? …. or is this all just nonsense.? It will take a a lot of time and effort and who will do the fighting? Certainly not the dead. Finally, going beyond murder to the label of ‘Hate Crime”. Can activists get the attention of those passionate about prosecuting hate crimes on board in order to establish that ‘stupid deceitful extortionisticly (i made that word up) inclined nympho cock sucking effeminate men’ are recognized as ‘persons’ under the law and therefore deserving recognition and ‘special attention’ so that when they get assaulted for faking being a woman, they can cry “hate crime’. What makes a female a female? Is it really what is between the legs or is it simple the projection of femininity?
Jennifer was murdered because she was a transgendered woman. Her name is not Jeffrey. She is not a man. Respect her in death as she deserved respect in life. Ang makulit mo na.