Tag: Philippines

It must suck to be these sailors stuck on a boat like because of the actions of one idiot:

Sailors on ships docked at Subic Bay won’t get shore leave while authorities determine the fate of a Marine accused of a slaying there.
“In consideration of recent events in Olongapo City, the United States has temporarily restricted shore leave for… U.S. forces [visiting] the Subic Bay area,” according to an official at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, who has been in custody in the Philippines for almost a month, is suspected of involvement in the death of Jeffrey Laude, 26, a transgender person also known as Jennifer whose body was found Oct. 11 in a motel bathroom.
The death, which prompted protests from family members and anti-American activists, comes at a crucial time for U.S.-Filipino relations as the countries prepare to implement an agreement that will see thousands of U.S. troops rotate through bases in the Philippines over the next decade.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Robert Garcia told the AFP news agency earlier this month that nine U.S. Navy ships had canceled visits to the port. Ships were still scheduled to visit for emergency repairs, but crews wouldn’t be allowed ashore, he said. (Stars and Stripes)

You can read more at the link.

I think we can all guess what happened in regards to this story:

A Marine has been detained following the suspected murder of a transgender Filipino at Subic Bay.

Media outlets in the Philippines, quoting a police report, said Monday that the victim, Jeffrey Laude, 26, also known as Jennifer, was found dead on a floor inside the Celzone Lodge in Olongapo City.

A witness said he saw Laude enter the hotel with a short-haired male foreigner, aged 25-30, around 10:55 p.m. on Saturday, the reports said.

Later, Laude’s naked body, partially covered with a blanket, was found in a bathroom at the hotel.

The incident comes at a sensitive time for U.S.-Philippine relations.

The close allies are getting ready to implement an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement — signed by President Barack Obama during a state visit in April — that will see large numbers of U.S. troops rotate through bases in the Philippines over the next decade.

Patricio Abinales, a University of Hawaii expert on the Philippines, said in an email Monday that Filipinos are likely to be angry about the alleged involvement of a Marine in Laude’s death, but that the incident won’t cause widespread opposition to a greater U.S. troop presence.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read the rest at the link, but since the Philippines is eager to host US troops again as a security guarantee against growing Chinese aggression I doubt the Filipino government will try and demagogue this incident for political advantage.  I guess we will see what happens, but it will interesting to see if the US government turns him over or not to face trial in the Philippines.

Anyway, this incident reminds of a transgender story I have from my days in Dongducheon.  The majority of the transgendered Koreans I have seen in Korea were in Dongducheon.  They would flock to the clubs up there to hit on drunk GIs.  I was at the infamous Rendezvous Club one time and saw this soldier hanging all over what was obviously a transexual, but he was too drunk to tell the difference.  I sat by him and then pulled him a side to explain to him his folly.  He got pissed and wanted to throw down because he thought I was trying to steal his chick.  Since he was so enamored with his new girlfriend, I left him to his folly. I never saw that soldier show his face ever again in that club.

I wonder how many of the 10 Koreans killed in the Philippines this year had organized crime connections?:

The Foreign Ministry said Friday that a man whose body was found in the Philippines in July has been positively identified as Korean. The latest discovery raises the number of Koreans killed in the Philippines this year alone to 10.

A ministry official said, “The Philippine police asked the Korean Embassy to identify the body discovered on the outskirts of Manila in late July. After analyzing the fingerprints, the body was determined to be that of a 45-year-old Korean surnamed Lee.”

The body was discovered in a plastic container and bore a gunshot wound to the neck. It appears Lee was murdered and his body was dumped. Philippine police were reportedly tipped off that Lee had connections to narcotics smugglers.  [Chosun Ilbo]

#China’s FM reminds its citizens not to visit the Philippines due to possible gang attacks targeting Chinese.

— CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) September 12, 2014