Manila: Three witnesses have identified an American serviceman as the companion of a Filipino transgender who was latter found dead at a motel in northern Luzon last year, a lawyer has said.

The case of the prosecution against US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton is “growing stronger with these witnesses,” private prosecution lawyer Harry Roque said.

Boy Miraflor, a security officer of Celzone Lodge, identified Pemberton as the person who was in the company of victim Jefrey ‘Jennifer’ Laude when they checked in at Celzone Lodge on Magsaysay Avenue, outside of the former Subic US Naval base in Olongapo, Zambales before midnight of October 11, 2014.

Miraflor was a surprise witness on Monday.

He was not revealed in the list of witnesses during the last preliminary conference of the case that is being tried by Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde in Olongapo Regional Trial Court.

On March 24 another transgender person, Mark “Clarence” Caguioa Gelviro, said he, Laude and several friends met Pemberton and his three foreign companions at Ambyanz Night Life, a club, adding he accompanied Pemberton and Laude when they checked into a room at Celzone Lodge.

Gelviro said he stayed in another room because Laude was worried that Pemberton might notice he (Gelviro) was flat-chested.

Later, Elias Gallamos Jr, the lodge’s receptionist and cashier, knocked on his door and urged him to go to room number 1 where he saw Laude’s body slumped at the edge of the toilet bowl.

In an earlier testimony in March, Gallamos had identified Pemberton as Laude’s companion at the lodge, adding he left alone after midnight of October 11.

Gelviro and Gallamos’ testimonies were given as sworn statements before the Philippine National Police and the US Naval Criminal Investigative Services.

Both of them were enrolled in the government’s witness protection programme.

Olongapo City Prosecutor Emelie Fe de los Santos did not say if Miraflor was also included in the same programme, adding the prosecution has “satisfactorily presented” witnesses who have identified Pemberton as Laude’s killer.

Before the incident, Pemberton participated in a joint US-Philippine war games with Filipino soldiers.

Laude’s killing sparked a strong anti-US sentiment. Lawmakers also called for a review of the 1998 US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) the basis of US-Philippine joint war games held since 2000.