CITY OF SAN FERNANDO鈥擣rom the front row of the crowded courtroom, staff members of the Dutch Embassy led by the deputy head of mission, Jaco Beerends, watched the proceedings of the case of Dutch activist Wilhelmus Geertman who was murdered in Pampanga province three years ago.
鈥淲e are [here] as international observers of the court,鈥� Beerends told the Inquirer on Monday. He just assumed his post over three months ago.
As in the previous four hearings, the embassy sent representatives to Regional Trial Court Branch 48 here in a show of unflagging commitment to monitor the case of Geertman, executive director of Alay Bayan-Luson Inc., a disaster response institution.
Geertman, 67, had just alighted from his car in the office鈥檚 driveway in L&S Subdivision here when the killer opened fire. He and his driver had come from a bank in Angeles City.
Fifth witness
The lawyer of Aurora Santiago, the Dutch victim鈥檚 partner and complainant in the robbery and murder case, presented on Monday a fifth witness, Redegonda Yba帽ez, 51, a coworker of Geertman in Alay Bayan.
Yba帽ez, in her testimony, confirmed the presence of the principal suspect, Marvin Marzan, in the office of Alay Bayan when the July 3, 2012, attack took place. She validated the identity of Marzan by tapping his shoulder with permission from Judge Christine Marie Capule.
Marzan called the witness a 鈥渓iar鈥� and a 鈥減aid hack.鈥�
Interviewed after the hearing, the accused said he was outside his house in Barangay Tangle in Mexico town, also in Pampanga, when Geertman was killed. His wife and neighbors, he said, could attest to his presence during that time.
AURORA Santiago (right) leads calls for justice for her slain partner, Dutch activist Wilhelmus Geertman. TONETTE T. OREJAS/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON
鈥淭hey (Geertman鈥檚 family and supporters) would get genuine justice for what they call extrajudicial killing because I am not the killer,鈥� Marzan told the Inquirer.
Harold de la Cruz and several suspects have yet to be arrested.
Witnesses
In the trial held on Sept. 14, Geertman鈥檚 driver, Crisostomo Yba帽ez, identified Marzan as the man who shot and killed Geertman.
The first witness, Sister Cecil Ruiz of the human rights watchdog Karapatan, told the court that Geertman鈥檚 murder was a case of extrajudicial killing because he defended the rights of poor residents in Aurora province for 40 years by leading campaigns against mining projects, illegal fishing and timber poaching.
Santiago, the second witness, told the court that her partner had experienced harassment and was put on surveillance. Alfonso van Zijl, also a Dutch and executive director of Bataris, a church-based institute, confirmed Santiago鈥檚 information as this was confided to him by Geertman.
Local reporter Wilfredo Villareal, who was in Alay Bayan鈥檚 office at the time of the attack, would take the witness stand in the next hearing, said Santiago鈥檚 lawyer, Rolando Miranda, head of the National Union of Peoples鈥� Lawyers (NUPL) in Central Luzon.
Asked on the pace of trial, lawyer Edre Olalia, NUPL secretary general, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 as fast as we want it to be. At least it鈥檚 moving. We will not do anything to delay the case.鈥�