AFP won’t stop Laude fiancé from leaving PHL, but still wants him banned

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it will no longer pursue a case that will prevent Marc Sueselbeck, the German fiancé of slain transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, from leaving the Philippines.

 

However, according to a report on GMA News TV's News To Go on Thursday, the AFP said it would still push through with its motion to declare Sueselbeck as an "undesirable alien," which would ban him from entering the country again.

 

In a statement released Wednesday evening, the AFP said though they have accepted Sueselbeck's apology, they would still want him to be held accountable.

 

"This incident should serve as a strong warning to every visitor that military camp rules and regulations, especially our security protocols must be observed at all times during their visit," it said.

 

The BI prevented Sueselbeck from leaving the country on Sunday due to a deportation case filed against him as a result of his climbing the perimeter fence of a facility inside Camp Aguinaldo on October 22.

 

Sueselbeck and the family of Laude wanted then to see murder suspect US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton who is detained inside the camp.

 

‘Cruel life sentence’

 

For his part, human rights lawyer Harry Roque Jr., counsel for the Laude family, considered AFP's latest decision to ban Sueselbeck from entering the country again as a "cruel life sentence."

 

"He considers that as a cruel life sentence, he only wants to visit Jennifer's grave and to attend hearings," he told GMA News Online, in a text message, on Thursday.

 

Roque, however, said Sueselbeck would leave the country "as soon as possible," otherwise he would be fired from his work.

 

"He was supposed to be back last Monday," he noted.

 

Laude was found dead in a lodge in Olongapo City on the night of October 11, after checking into the establishment with a foreign companion who has been identified as Pemberton. —Amanda Fernandez/KG, GMA News