Philippine Court Dismisses Terror Financing Charges Against NGO and Officials

A Philippine court has dismissed terror financing charges against a non-governmental organisation and its officials. The Tacloban Regional Trial Court ruled in favour of the Community Empowerment Resource Network Inc. (Cernet), its officers, and council members after finding insufficient evidence. The decision has drawn widespread reactions from civil society groups and legal experts across the country.

The case centred on allegations that Cernet, along with its leadership, had engaged in terrorism financing. However, the court determined that a critical element of the offence was missing: a valid terrorist designation at the time of the alleged acts. This followed a similar ruling earlier involving the Leyte Center for Development Inc. (LCDE) and its director, Jazmin Jerusalem, whose charges were also dropped for lack of evidence.

Legal professionals and human rights advocates have weighed in on the outcome. Lawyer Josalee Deinla, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL), argued that the case exposed how counterterrorism laws are being used to target humanitarian work and legitimate advocacy. Aaron Pedrosa, secretary general of Sanlakas, called the dismissal a 'watershed moment' for human rights defenders in the Philippines. The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) acknowledged the court’s decision but stressed that the state must still investigate credible allegations of terrorism financing. Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr. clarified that activism and humanitarian work are not crimes, yet he cautioned against dismissing allegations of insurgency financing simply because NGOs are involved. Carlos Conde, founder of Rights Reports Philippines, described the ruling as proof of the government’s flawed approach to combating terrorism financing. Meanwhile, Atty. Raffy Pajares, executive director of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (Elac), welcomed the outcome while recalling the earlier dismissal of charges against LCDE under similar circumstances.

The court’s decision clears Cernet and its officials of terror financing allegations, citing a lack of valid evidence. Legal observers and civil society groups have highlighted the broader implications for human rights and the use of counterterrorism laws. The ruling leaves the government’s approach to such cases under renewed scrutiny.