Filipino migrant groups in Lakewood, Washington, USA, marched and hung a large streamer on October 12 to call for justice on the 10th anniversary of Jennifer Laude’s murder. Laude was killed by US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton in Olongapo City on October 11, 2014.

Pemberton was then in the Philippines to participate in a war game between the Philippines and the US. The presence of US troops in the country is allowed under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Despite being convicted of homicide, Pemberton was not imprisoned in the Philippines or even placed under the Philippine government’s custody. Under the VFA, the US had primary authority over his detention, even though he was convicted by a Philippine court. Worse, the Duterte regime granted him “absolute pardon” in 2020. He now freely resides in the US.

GABRIELA Seattle, Malaya Movement PNW Seattle, International Coalitions for Human Rights in the Philippines PNW Seattle, and the Resist US-Led War Movement led the rally in Washington. They called for support from Filipinos and Americans to demand the removal of US troops and military bases from the Philippines.

They held their program in front of the Lakewood Pierce County Library before marching to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). The JBLM is a US base in Washington that serves as a hub for US soldiers advising on counter-insurgency programs in the Philippines and deploying troops to war games in the country.

The 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade, one of the primary units participating in war games with the Armed Forces of the Philippines as part of the US National Defense Strategy, is based here and is focused on the Indo-Pacific region.