Author: Aisha Noor
February 13, 2025
![[Image credit: Angie De Silva/Rappler]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_8be5da6a99f94cd5992bf09e7aa59e7f~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_654,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_8be5da6a99f94cd5992bf09e7aa59e7f~mv2.png)
HRRC condemns the Philippines government’s efforts to falsely accuse civil society groups, activists, and human rights defenders of financing terrorism.
Humanitarian assistance and social justice organizations are experiencing widespread disruption in their operational functions due to baseless terrorism-financing charges by Philippines authorities.
In order to be compliant with the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) standards, the Philippines government has taken extreme measures to move the country off the FATF’s “grey list”. Being on this list has negative consequences on international market participation and worldwide standing.
The FATF was established in 1989 and operates as an intergovernmental authority for international money laundering, terrorism-financing, and financial criminal operations prevention. The FATF grey list forces nations to undergo intense monitoring, ensuring countries remain compliant with strict mandates for strengthening their anti-money laundering and terrorism-financing abilities.
The FATF included the Philippines on its 2021 watchlist for problems related to its weakened financial system. To remove its place on the grey list, the government has been identifying and prosecuting civil society organizations and human rights activists for allegedly financing terrorism. Although the FATF's grey-listing strategy serves as an accountability tool for the Philippines, the government uses it to prosecute those they consider threats in order to meet their needs.
Social welfare organizations that have been targeted have dedicated years to promoting human rights and providing support to marginalized communities. These organizations also deliver vital services like health care and education throughout the country. Organizations like Cernet, Kaduami, and Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) continue to defend themselves against these groundless accusations. For example, Cernet faced terrorism-financing charges and 27 staff members were arrested by the Anti-Money Laundering Council based on an accusation from one decade ago. The Anti-Money Laundering Council temporarily froze all bank accounts, which stopped their organizational activities.
Officials from Kaduami, which has offered farmer and fisherfolk services for more than four decades, face terrorism-financing charges despite lacking concrete evidence.
Additionally, two PDG community workers faced terrorism-financing charges in January 2025 after officials allegedly from a former rebel group gave statements to the police casting doubt upon the community workers intentions.
The Philippines government has undertaken "red-tagging" as a policy for many decades, falsely labeling individuals and organizations either as communist or insurgent supporters. These anti-terror laws have become yet another weapon used to silence legitimate organizations and their members from practicing their constitutional rights of free speech and association. Unfortunately,
many human rights defenders, activists, and journalists face intimidation while under surveillance and often suffer physical attacks because of this red-tagging method.
In 2024, the court system officially voided terrorism-financing accusations against Fritz Labiano and his colleagues Paul Tagle and Jazmin Jerusalem because they lacked convincing evidence. The activists and organizations involved in the case remain targets of harassment and experience continuous disturbances to their work, while some charges against them proceed through legal systems.
The FATF Recommendation 8 mandates governments create risk-based policies that handle the threat of terrorist-financing through nonprofits. However, during the implementation of Recommendation 8, the Philippines government transformed the broad language into a reason to perform general actions which primarily affect peaceful activists.
HRRC urges the Philippines government to end its targeting of civil society organizations while also upholding the rights of all organizations and individuals rights. Counter-terrorism mechanisms from FATF and other member nations must follow human rights principles during implementation.
Efforts to combat terrorism-financing by any government must never interfere with the basic rights and liberties of its population. HRRC calls upon FATF to have direct engagement with civil society groups in the Philippines to ensure their recommendations are not contributing to human rights violations and abuses.
HRRC supports human rights activists and defenders worldwide, and stands in solidarity with those who oppose the improper enforcement of terrorism-financing laws.
Glossary
Allegations: Claims or accusations, typically unproven, made about someone or something.
Convictions: Legal judgments where an individual is found guilty of a crime in a court of law
Disproportionate: Exceeding what is reasonable or necessary in relation to a situation.
Harassment: Aggressive or unwanted behavior that causes distress, often used to intimidate.
Legitimate: Authorized or acceptable by law or standards.
Prosecutions: Legal proceedings in which individuals or organizations are charged and tried in court.
Red-tagging: The act of accusing individuals or groups of being linked to communist or terrorist activities without evidence.
Surveillance: Close observation of individuals or groups, often by authorities, to gather information.
Terrorism-financing: The act of providing financial resources to terrorist organizations or activities.
Weaponization: The use of something, like laws, for a specific and often harmful political agenda.
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