2 weeks Ago By Sherwin de Vera
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – A Baguio-based non-profit organization and three individuals charged with financing terrorism have urged members of the House of Representatives and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate what they called the “systematic and deliberate” filing of charges against development and humanitarian workers. The Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan a Luzon (Kaduami) accused the government of using Financial Action Task Force (FATF) compliance to target red-tagged activists and non-profits under a scheme they call “Project Exit the Greylist.” “We fear that the government’s compliance with FATF guidelines to exit the grey list.
.. is systematically being applied against red-tagged non-profit organizations that have been providing services to marginalized communities,” read part of a letter they sent to the lower house and CHR.
On Monday, November 25, the group submitted the letter to Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr., chair of the House committee on human rights. They also met with Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel, who is sponsoring a resolution with other Makabayan lawmakers, calling for a probe into the matter.
Kaduami Board Chairperson Bishop Mariano Inong and Executive Director Leonida Tundagui signed the letter. Other signatories include Kaduami trustees Lenville Salvador and Petronila Guzman, and lay volunteer Myrna Zapanta, who have been charged by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the Ilocos Region with terrorism financing. Tundagui said they provided documentary evidence of the project obtained from the government’s submission in the terrorism financing case against their colleagues.
A directive to profile Zapanta cited the project, and the Kaduami head “believes the government is also using this to surveil other individuals they want to target to comply with FATF regulations.” First time The group also met with CHR officials on the same day. Lawyer Jasmin Regino, director of the Human Rights Protection Office, said it was the first time she had heard of the project but assured them that she would inquire with the chairperson and other offices to see if it had been discussed in earlier talks with civil society groups, who are also facing terrorism financing complaints.
Regino noted that CHR has observed an increase in the number of terrorism financing charges filed against human rights defenders. Witnesses for the cases have been former rebels, such as those involved in the charges against Salvador, Guzman, and Zapanta. She said CHR is investigating the cases as part of a growing concern about the “weaponization of the law,” a point raised by civil society organizations.
In addition to monitoring the Department of Justice’s preliminary investigation of the case, Regino assured that CHR would raise the matter with members of the security sector. Community work threatened The Makabayan bloc has filed House Resolution No. 2093, urging the House to investigate the allegations because the attacks “constitute a clear pattern of harassment against development workers and threaten the delivery of social services to marginalized communities.
” Carlos H. Conde, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch Asia, said there has been an increase in terrorism financing charges against non-profits, citing the case of Cebu-based Community Empowerment Resource Network, which seriously impacts service delivery in disaster-affected areas. “This kind of action by the government to harass these groups will have an impact on the communities, particularly the underserved, especially at this time of year when there are frequent typhoons, and with climate change,” he said during an earlier interview.
Conde pointed out that, aside from the freezing of assets and cancellation of funding, NGO leaders are being arrested, harassed, and persecuted, with some halting their operations due to threats and a shortage of funds. “These NGOs have been working with these communities for decades precisely because the government is not that well-resourced to address the needs of these communities; they are really lacking in that area,” he said. – Rappler.
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