Manila, August 25 (RHC)-- In news from the Philippines, a U.S. Marine has testified in court that he choked a Filipino transgender woman until she was unconscious, but he claims he did not kill her.

U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton is on trial for the 2014 murder of 26-year-old Jennifer Laude, who was found dead in a hotel room near a former American naval base that still frequently hosts U.S. ships.

Pemberton testified Monday that he punched and choked Laude after learning she was transgender. The case has strained relations between the U.S. and the Philippines, with some Filipino lawmakers calling for changes to the rules permitting American military forces in the country, which is a former U.S. colony.