Sarra Ben Ghorbal

WGSS 2000

Extra credit #2

Call Her Ganda

Jennifer Laude was a transgender Filipina aged 26, she was killed by Joseph Scott

Permberton, a 20-year-old U.S marine military officer, who was in operations in the Philippines.

On 11th October 2014, the two people Permberton and Laude, met in Ambyanz bar (Gutierrez,

2020). After the interaction, they decided to leave to a Celzone lodge in one of the hotels around

the grounds. It was after a short time that Permberton left the room they had booked. The door of

the room was left open. According to the reports from the investigators of Laude's death, the

staff of the facility entered the room, and shockingly they found the lady's dead body laid on the

floor naked, only covered partially down from the waste. The documentary, Call Her Ganda,

talks about the tragic death of Jennifer Laude while highlighting more profonde and complex

structural issues such as the American hegemonic dominance over the Philippine, the

vulnerability of sex work and the harsh reality that faces transgender and non-binary people

characterized by continuous violence and harassment.

Following the investigation on the issue, there were some condoms discovered that were

tested for DNA, but it was found that there was no match with Laude's DNA. According to

Permberyon's testimony, he accepted that he had choked the lady making her unconscious but

not to death since he left while she was breathing. The United States Navy initiated his arrest

following the incident on the ship. Later Permberton was imprisoned in the Armed Forces of

Philippine's headquarters, Camp Aguinaldo. On 15th December, the same year, Permberton was

charged with murder following the depicted treachery (Gutierrez, 2020). It is during the
detention of the United States’ marine soldier that the issues of American hegemonic dominance

over the Philippine were evident. There are two court decisions that showed profound levels of

injustices, especially towards the Philippines, the transgender, and women. The first decision is

the court ruling that Permberton was not guilty of murder crime but homicide crime. According

to his lawyer's statement, his client had experienced "rape" after Laude performed oral sex on

Permberton prior to explaining to him that she was transgender. The second decision is the

court's act of pardoning the accused.

The claim by the Permberton lawyer depicted the issue of vulnerability and lack of

protection in the sex work industry. However, the pardoning of Permberton was deemed a

significant injustice and disregard of the Filipino people, and raised anger and rage among

Filipino women, transgender and activists. People and especially, transgender people and women

of color, face an overwhelming amount of injustice, violence and abuse. However, when such

cases are presented to the court, the victims end up being freed from jail. It is through this that

the incidences are alarmingly increasing. Specifically, Laude's murder by the United States'

marine soldier was symbolic to the U.S relationship with the Philippe towards the group,

highlighting the dominance of the United States' interests over the Filipino people's demands

and justice.. The incident will remain to be the history of the Philippine as one of the most

notorious proofs that the United States keeps on superseding Philippine sovereignty up to date.
 Reference

Call Her Ganda. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2020, from

https://www.kanopy.com/product/call-her-ganda

Gutierrez, J. (2020). U.S Marine Who Killed Transgender Woman in Philippine is Ordered

Released. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/world/asia/philippines-

joseph-scott-pemberton-transgender.html