Hailing the Tacloban Regional Trial Court’s dismissal of terrorism financing charges against an NGO leader as a victory for civil society, labor NGO Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) said that the decision is yet another proof of the military’s harassment of NGOs in the country.

In a ruling dated February 27, 2026, Judge Georgina Uy Perez dismissed three counts of violations of the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act or TFPSA (Republic Act No. 10168) against Jazmin Jerusalem, executive director of development NGO Leyte Center for Development and Empowerment (LCDE).

Uy said that the alleged incidents on which the charges against Jeruzalem were based occurred before the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and armed rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) were designated as terrorist organizations by former President Rodrigo Duterte on December 5, 2017 and by the Anti-Terrorism Council on February 18, 2021.

“This ruling is another proof that the government and the military have been filing trumped-up charges of terrorism financing against civil society groups and leaders as a form of harassment. We demand that they stop this practice, which violates the rights not only of the accused individuals and organizations, but of the communities that they serve,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

“This is a victory for the right to freedom of association and ultimately freedom of expression. It is also a victory for marginalized communities’ right to development and for democracy in the country. We join the country’s civil society community in celebrating this win,” Deligente added.

Jeruzalem was charged in relation to alleged incidents of providing material support to the CPP and armed rebel group NPA on March 15, 2013, December 23, 2014, and June 5, 2016.

“Beyond the technicalities of dates, we believe that the government and the military will not be able to prove the charges, as these are merely plucked from thin air. The only thing that is solid behind these accusations is the government and military’s desire to harass civil society into silence and inaction. They don’t want marginalized sectors to be empowered to claim their rights,” Deligente said.

In a ruling released on January 29, 2025, Leyte City Prosecutor Ma. Liza Miscala-Jorda junked another terrorism financing case filed Jerusalem for lack of evidence. CTUHR has reported an increase in terrorism financing charges filed by the military against civil society and people’s organization leaders during the Ferdinand Marcos Jr presidency.

“For all of President Marcos Jr’s pretensions of being different from his predecessor, Duterte-type and Duterte-era attacks against civil society, people’s organizations and people power continue under his watch. He should take immediate and resolute actions to stop these,” Deligente stated.