Blue Helmets deployed for Pemberton watch

MANILA, Philippines - Blue-helmeted Filipino troops serving under the United Nations international peacekeeping operations have been deployed to guard the US Marine detained at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) main headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.

The Filipino UN troops were deployed along the premises of the Joint United States Advisory Group (JUSMAG) located inside the main military headquarters where US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton is detained.

Pemberton is facing charges of killing a Filipino transgender in Olongapo City on Oct. 11.

“They were deployed there while still awaiting their assignments,” a military officer explained.

Military police from the AFP Headquarters Support Group (HSSG) were also tasked to secure the perimeter of the JUSMAG compound, also known as a Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) facility.

The HSSG has declared the vicinity of the JUSMAG area as restricted with the soldiers manning the outside perimeter under instructions not to allow anyone in, particularly the media.

The deployment of blue-cap soldiers at the JUSMAG compound came a day after the family of the victim, Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, along with Laude’s German fiancé Marc Suselbeck, scaled the perimeter fence to enter the compound to confront Pemberton.

Suselbeck later apologized for his action, saying that he “just blanked out” after pushing off a trooper who tried to stop him.

The family of Laude, accompanied by their counsel Harry Roque, went to Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday in their effort to confront Pemberton, who is detained inside a 20-foot air-conditioned container van inside the JUSMAG facility.