Dutch’s slay case upgraded from homicide to murder

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines— The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the upgrade of the case filed in the 2012 killing of Dutch activist Wilhelmus Geertman from robbery and homicide to murder and robbery.

In a resolution on March 10 and received by the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) on March 17, Justice Undersecretary Leah Tanodra-Armamento directed the city prosecutor here to withdraw the information for robbery and homicide.

Armamento also ordered the filing of corresponding information for the separate crimes of murder and robbery against Harold de la Cruz, Marvin Marzan and several unidentified suspects in the killing of Geertman, 67. Geertman was shot and killed at his office in the L&S Subdivision here on July 3, 2012.

The change in the nature of the cases came as a response to a petition for review by Geertman’s girlfriend, Aurora Santiago, who is assisted by the NUPL.

The alleged involvement of policemen in the murder was referred to the National Bureau of Investigation for further investigation.

The arrest of a man identified as Marvin Marzan Nuguid was expected to move the case forward, said lawyer Edre Olalia, NUPL president.

Olalia said Marzan and Nuguid were “one and the same.”

Policemen, who were carrying a warrant issued by Executive Judge Celso Baguio of the Regional Trial Court in Gapan City in Nueva Ecija province, arrested Nuguid in Barangay (village) Tangle in Mexico town on March 11 for a series of robbery cases.

Seized from Nuguid were three pistols, a hand grenade, several boxes of bullets, a pair of binoculars, two bulletproof vests and a wig. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon