There is nothing wrong with the reported P21-million settlement offer to the family of slain transgender woman Jennifer Laude for a plea bargain deal in their murder case against US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.
“We have to remember that in preliminary conference or pre-trial, plea bargaining is allowed – subject to agreement of parties,” De Lima told reporters.
Nonetheless, De Lima vowed to study the allegation made by the Laude family against Olongapo City Prosecutor Emilie delos Santos for excluding them in the negotiations with Pemberton’s camp on the plea bargain deal.
De Lima disclosed that she already the Olongapo City 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,” the Justice Secretary said.
But De Lima admitted that 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 said.
The Laude family’s lawyer, UP law professor Harry Roque Jr. said it was delos Santos who was pushing for the P21-million settlement with Pemberton’s camp without consulting with the victim’s family.
They complained against the supposed refusal of Fiscal delos Santos to allow Atty. Roque to participate in case conferences.