The Philippines: Trial Court Sentences Accused in 2019 Attack on Jesuit Volunteers

A trial court has rendered a guilty verdict in all three criminal cases filed in connection with the 2019 attack on Jesuit Volunteers in a remote community in southern Philippines, according to a statement posted by Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) on their website on July 20.

In August 2019, Genifer Buckly, a 24-year-old volunteer teacher serving at Pangantucan Community High School in Bukidnon, was stabbed multiple times, allegedly by Arnold Naguilla, then 36. Buckly tragically died from her injuries. According to police, the attack took place inside the volunteers' quarters.

Naguilla was apprehended shortly after the incident, with the help of witnesses who saw him fleeing the scene.

Buckly’s colleague, Ann Kathleen Gatdula, a 30-year-old lawyer, was also attacked but survived. Both were part of the 40th batch of volunteers under JVP, a non-profit organization that sends volunteers across the Philippines to teach and serve in community and pastoral work.

Attorney Buboy Mendoza, a Jesuit volunteer who represents JVP pro bono, called the verdict a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims and their families. He said the cases involved charges of: homicide in the case of Genifer Buckly; frustrated homicide in the case of Ann Kathleen Gatdula; and attempted homicide in the case of Janah, a Grade 9 student who also sustained multiple stab wounds during the attack.

The combined sentence across the three convictions amounts to more than 30 years of imprisonment for the accused.

However, Mendoza noted that the legal battle is not yet over. The convicted individual has filed motions for reconsideration in all three cases. Mendoza has already submitted responses to the motions concerning Buckly and Gatdula.

“The cases are not yet over. The accused has filed motions for reconsideration in all three cases. I’m still busy arguing forGen, Kath, and Janah. This will still reach the Court of Appeals  maybe even the Supreme Court,” Mendoza said in an exchange with an RVA reporter.

The JVP community expressed deep gratitude to Mendoza for his unwavering commitment and exemplary pro bono service, commending him for traveling from Cagayan de Oro to Malaybalay for each hearing, meticulously gathering evidence, and coordinating with witnesses to ensure a strong case.

This case is considered one of the most difficult challenges in JVP’s 46-year history of sending volunteers to underserved communities in the Philippines. Still, the spirit of service and solidarity endures.

“Let us continue to lift this case in our prayers and express our solidarity with the victims’ families, who have courageously fought for truth and justice all these years. May this hard-won progress bring healing, strength, and hope and remind us all that justice, though long delayed, is still possible.”