"When Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde of the Olongapo Regional Trial Court
Branch 74 hands down her verdict on the murder of transgender Jeffrey
“Jennifer” Laude on Dec. 1, at least 1,000 policemen will secure her and
the court. Senior Supt. Pedrito de los Reyes, city police director, said they
would be on heightened alert next week, aware of the political and
ideological issues surrounding the Oct. 11 murder of Laude. US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton has been charged with the
crime. He has been held at the Joint US Military Assistance Group
compound in Camp Aguinaldo, the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines in Quezon City. As part of security measures, police would put up steel barriers around the court premises and outside the Hall of Justice. The court had barred reporters from the premises during the trial that started in March. “The number of police personnel is enough to cover the entire Hall of
Justice and its immediate periphery,” De los Reyes said in a text
message on Thursday..........Roberto Garcia, chair of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, said the
verdict would be crucial to the status of liberty (rest and recreation
activities) for visiting US troops. Last year, the US Pacific Command (US Pacom) canceled these
activities of US servicemen in the Philippines after Pemberton was
detained for Laude’s slaying. The US Pacom eased up the rules in June and allowed US soldiers to
leave their ships, although they were prohibited from entering the Subic
Bay Freeport."