Dutch slay suspect off the hook

The Supreme Court has acquitted a man convicted of killing a Dutch national in 2012, citing “lingering doubt” and inconsistent witness testimony.

In a decision dated 7 May 2025, the SC Third Division reversed the conviction of Marvin Nuguid, ordering his immediate release unless he is being held for another lawful cause.

The court found that lower courts were too quick to dismiss Nuguid’s alibi and noted the prosecution failed to provide legitimate and compelling evidence against him.

Nuguid had been convicted by a lower court for the killing of Wilhelmus Johannes Joseph Geertman, the executive director of Alay Bayan, Inc., a non-governmental organization involved in disaster preparedness.

Geertman was shot and killed by two assailants who entered his office in San Fernando, Pampanga, and then fled on a motorcycle driven by a third person.

Nuguid maintained his innocence, stating he was with his common-law wife at their junk shop fixing refrigerators at the time of the murder.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, the high court stated that while trial courts are typically deferred to on matters of witness credibility, the facts in this case revealed “several glaring inconsistencies in the testimonies” and other evidence.

The court also cited that witnesses failed to provide a description of the shooter and stated they did not actually see who fired the gun, making it “highly doubtful” that the prosecution could pinpoint Nuguid as the perpetrator.

The Supreme Court stressed that the inconsistencies were substantial enough to raise reasonable doubt and cited that Nuguid’s vehement denial of involvement, combined with physical differences between him and images from a CCTV camera, further weakened the prosecution’s case.