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Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo hit on Wednesday Vice President Leni Robredo for questioning the fairness and justness of President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to grant absolute pardon to an American serviceman who was convicted for killing a Filipino transgender woman in 2014.

Panelo, just like the other Palace officials, reiterated that Duterte's power to grant an absolute pardon is provided in the Constitution.

"That's the prerogative of the President to extend mercy or pardon to a person in prison who has met qualifications," he said in a television interview.

Robredo has questioned Duterte's decision to grant absolute pardon to US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton who was sentenced up to 10 years of imprisonment for the death of Jennifer Laude.

She wondered if the decision was fair and just, citing that many Filipinos with lighter offenses were not given attention nor being granted similar privilege to Pemberton's.

She surmised that the poor were punished while the powerful were freed.

But Panelo noted that since Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, he granted pardon to 139 individuals and only four of them were foreigners.

He added there were also wealthy people who have been sent to jail, such as those involved in illegal drugs and there were public officials whom Duterte removed from their posts.

"Those that VP Leni have said are not true. As usual, her facts are wrong," Panelo said.

He also reiterated that Pemberton has shown good conduct while imprisoned in a facility inside military's Camp Aguinaldo headquarters in Quezon City.

Echoing Duterte, he said Pemberton should only be given fair treatment.

Duterte's decision to grant Pemberton absolute pardon drew criticisms from various sectors. Celerina Monte/DMS