Philippines to deport U.S. Marine facing murder trial after sentence

Reuters
U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton (R) is escorted by U.S. soldiers as he attends a court hearing in Olongapo, March 23, 2015. REUTERS/Lorgina Minguito

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine Immigration Bureau has ordered the deportation a U.S. Marine once his trial and possible sentence for the murder of a transgender Filipino woman a year ago are over, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, who is being held at a U.S. facility at an army base in Manila, has been charged with the murder of Jennifer Laude, who was found dead on Oct. 11 last year in a hotel in Olongapo City, near a former U.S. naval base north of Manila.

Elaine Tan, spokeswoman for the immigration bureau, said the U.S. Marine was declared "a risk to public interest for being an undesirable alien" and would be deported once his murder trial and any subsequent jail term were over.

Pemberton would be deported even if the court found him innocent, she said.

Pemberton faces jail term of 20 years to life if found guilty. A verdict is expected in December.

(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Nick Macfie)