April 24, 2025
The Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) reiterates its call to the Philippine government to heed the call of civil society organizations (CSOs) to end the prosecution of development workers and human rights defenders (HRDs) that face baseless charges of terrorism and terrorism financing against them.
Last April 14, Marielle Domequil, a development worker of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) faced the baseless charges against her and 4 others arrested during a series of raids in Tacloban City, Leyte in 2020. Marielle, along with journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Alexander Abinguna, Mira Legion and Marissa Calbajao was charged with trumped-up cases of illegal possession of firearms, explosives and financing terrorism.
These charges against Tacloban 5 is part of a wider attack on CSOs, HRDs, journalists and activists through weaponizing of laws supposedly meant to curb terrorism such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act.
However, there is increasing forensic evidence of abuse of these laws; and the malicious practice of planting firearms and explosives by state forces to prevent HRDs from posting bail.
The cases are mounting with the latest attack on six (6) activists from Cagayan Valley last January 10, namely: Jackie Valencia (former Karapatan National Council member), Isabelo Adviento (former regional coordinator and former nominee of Anakpawis Partylist), Cita Managuelod (Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)- Isabela coordinator), Agnes Mesina (Makabayan-Cagayan Valley regional coordinator), Walter Villegas (Kabataan Partylist Regional Coordinator) and Deo Montesclaros (environmental activist and journalist). They have been charged with financing terrorism.
“These baseless judicial cases undermine CSOs’ development and advocacy work for people’s rights which ultimately impact negatively on the realization of the Filipino people’s right to development”, says Rochelle Porras, CPDG Vice President and spokesperson.
“We call on the Philippine government to adhere to its commitment to strengthening the enabling environment for civil society” as it champions open government partnership. There can never be genuine partnership for effective development if civil society is repressed, and CSOs role as development actors are maligned”, ends Porras.
As the Tacloban 5, Cagayan Valley 6 and other development NGOs face continuous trials, CPDG calls on CSOs to stand together and push back against these baseless attacks. “We cannot just stand to watch and just let these attacks continue amid increasingly persisting poverty and inequality”, Porras appealed to fellow CSOs.
“We call on our fellow CSOs and human rights defenders to stand in solidarity against attacks on development workers and NGOs. There can never be genuine development if CSOs are repressed and development workers are criminalized for their commitment to social justice and community empowerment”, ends Porras.#