Laude family wants Pemberton to undergo 'booking'

MANILA, Philippines - Relatives of slain transgender Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude have asked the Olongapo City prosecutor office to compel US marine Joseph Scott Pemberton to have his fingerprints lifted and submit a saliva sample for DNA test.

The Laude family, through its lawyers, filed an Omnibus motion to subpoena Pemberton to appear during the clarificatory hearing on November 5 and submit himself to the procedures.

Pemberton, the principal suspect in the killing of Laude inside a motel in Subic, Zambales, did not appear the preliminary investigation of the murder case at the Olongapo City Prosecutor's Office.

The family of the victim also asked that the prosecutor's office to order the Philippine National Police to designate forensic experts who will lift the fingerprints from the detained US soldier.

Laude's lawyers said that they filed the motion because police investigators have yet to accomplish the basic investigative procedures on Pemberton who is still under the jurisdiction and custody of the US government.

"Pfc. Pemberton has yet to undergo standard booking procedures, so that police investigators have not been able to lift fingerprints from him-- a procedure that is de rigueur for police investigations across many jurisdictions around the world," the motion read.

The motion added that "important physical evidence need to be gathered for DNA testing, to determine whether there is in fact, such evidence to establish - at the very least - respondent's presence in the scene of the crime."

Pemberton was airlifted from Olongapo City to the Armed Forces of the Philippines' national headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City early Wednesday.

The US embassy clarified hours after the transfer that its government is still has jurisdiction over Pemberton, citing the Visiting Forces Agreement.